Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-19
PRACTICE OF MEDICINE
Hearing Today on the Bill Regulating the
Physicians
The Question Mt Issue-SOme Amend
ments PrOpos ed-Health Officers
Report on the Measure.


Office today. This BILL 1t will be recalled
was introduced by Representative Heard
and is now before the Commissioners for
their report. AS is customary, a special
hearing was given to those interested in
the bill, and when Commissioner Ross CALI
ed the meeting to order this morning the
board room was crowded with physicians.
The bill has been heretofore printed in
The Star and its provisions are well known
DIR. s. c. Busey, president of the Medical
Society, explained the bill in full He said
it originated with the Medical Society or
the District of Columbia, and its object was
to elevate the standard of medical educa-
ton and protect the community from char-
latans and imposters. During the year.,
he SAID, The society had received an invi-
tation from the Homeopathic Society to
unite with ii in the preparation of a bill
which would accomplish these objects.
Joint committees were accordingly ap-
pointed, but they failed to agree upon one
point of the organization of the board Of
medical examiners There were no essen-
tial differences between the two societies
in the bill itself. The difference was that
one society claimed an equal division in
membership upon the board, and the other
refused to accept it. The Medical Society
of the District of Columbia, he said Is I'M
willing to grant an equal representation to
any other society upon this proposed board
of examiners, Tor the reason that 1t out
all other societies in the District. The
Medical Society, under those circumstances,
failing to agree, and having the interests
of the people at heart, and with only a
desire to protect them against quacks, de-
termined to agree upon a bill and present
it themselves, leaving for those who had
the power to legislate the right to arrange
the differences. Intelligent people OF all
civilized communities have reached that
standard when they are no longer satisfied
to have unqualified men attend them. The
medical profession throughout the world
had agreed that even a diploma Is not
standard OF medical education. In thirty
eight states and some Of the territories
laws have been made to require Qualifica-
lions upon a diploma. The District of Co
lumbia has no medical act, and has become
the rendezvous OF Quacks and impOsters.
DIR. Busey read the charter OF the Med
ical Society, and compared 1t with that OF
the Homeopathic Society.
He then read the charter Of the Eclectic
Society, and characterized 1t as being
a loosely constructed piece Of legislation,
under which anybody could practice medi-
cine without having any requirements at
all. With the existence of such law. he
said, 1t was utterly useless to try and
raise the standard of medicine here or any
where else. and that provision must be
annulled before anything could be done.
In thirty-eight states laws had been en-
acted regulating the practice of medicine,
and while ne did not want to discuss any
of them, for many of them were imper-
feet, he was free to confess that any one
of them would be more acceptable than
existing conditions. fie referred to the
law in Pennsylvania, which was, perhaps,
the most liberal yet passed.
Another Standpoint.
DR.. j. B. G. Gusts, representing the
Homeopathic Medical Society, was the
next speaker. He said he Endorsed every
word DIR. Busey had said, and agreed that
the laws OF the District of Columbia were
totally inadequate to protect its citizens
from imposition.
He thanked the doctor for the fair state
ment that he had made regarding the
Homeopathic Society," and said further that
the board of censors of that society never
considered an applicant for membership
unless he had a diploma from some reput-
able college. He was thoroughly In favor
of raising the standard and would join
hands with the Medical Society, no matter
how high they placed it. But he thought
the Homeopathic Society was entitled to
equal representation upon the board. He
offered substitute bill providing for three
separate boards of examiners to consist of
five members each to examine the appli-
cants from the three schools The Com
miSSionerS were to appoint the presidents
of each board, and these were to be known
as the committee on examination, to revise
and edit the questions OF the three boards
and examine answers and change them IL
they saw fit.
DR.. c. B. Purvis objected to the bill in
several minor details. In the first place,
he was opposed to the first section, which
gave the Medical Society the power to Sc
lect the board of commissioners. and
thought that it should be wiped out, and
the commissioners given authority to Sc
lect the board from among the practicing
physicians in the city.
DR.. Bland, representing the Eclectic So
ciety, objected to the whole bill.
Among those present were Drs. s. c.
Busey, ID. w. Prentiss, G.. l.. Magruder,
w. w. Johnson, G. Y. Cook, u. L. Sewers,
C. H. A. Kleinschmidt, C. w. Purvis, @. G.
Stone, j. s. McLain, j. b. G.. Custis, Health
Officer Woodward and DIR. Bland.
DIR. WpOdyrar d's Report.
Health officer Woodward today trans
mitted to the Commissioners his report
upon this DILL.
In his report DR.. Woodward says:
''This District is therefore urgently in
need of legislation which viii protect the
lives and health of it's citizens from the
saults of quacks and irnpostors and of in
competent physicians. That the measure
is necessary is shown by the fact that
nearly every state has in force restrictive
laws upon the subject.
ut is necessary because each physician Is
practically a guardian of the public health,
especially in connection with conta giouS
diseases, where, by an error of diagnosis
or treatment, an epidemic may be precipi-
tated upon the community. Nor can pri-
vate citizen, even If he is competent to do
So undertake to determine even in the
simplest cases the qualifications of ply
stefan who may treat him, or whom he may
call upon in case of emergency.
with such changes as may be necessary
to put upon all forms of the practice of
medicine equally the restrictions of the
act, while at the same time securing to
each a fair representation in the conduct of
examinations, / am of the opinion that the
passage of the bill presented cannot be
too strongly recommended and urged by
every possible means"