The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-09

j
in the medical world. Dr. Oliver Wen
dell Holmes, who was eminent in medicine
as well as In literature, stated in a pub
lie address some years ago that IF all
of the drugs were in the sea it would
be better for mankind and worse for
the fshes.'' The late DR.. Bigelow, of
Boston, also eminent in his profession,
practiced medicine for fifty years with
out missing day during all that time
that he did not get around and see his
patients. His friends of the medical
brotherhood gave him supper to cele-
brate the occasion of his reaching his
fiftieth anniversary of the commence
ment of his medical practice with such
wonderful results in the way of con-
, tinued, unbroken health. At this ban
quet, DR.. Bigelow during his speech
said that he attributed his excellent
health during all of this half century
principally to three things,-plenty of
hard work, temperance, and abstinence
from medicine" Hundreds OF eminent
physicians have after long lives of So
called successful practice come to doubt
whether the use of medicines which they
have administered in their profession
have done the more of good or the more
of harm. You. gentlemen of the COM
mittee, probably every one of you have
instances this moment in your mind
of your fellowmen, perhaps OF your
dearest friends, who have gone before, of
whom you have an impression that
amounts perhaps to a conviction that
their death has been fastened by the
use of medicines administered to them
through the orthodox professions of
medical practitioners. We hardly need
to refer to the antagonisms existing be-
tween the different schools of medicine,
not only in the past but which is con-
tinued down to the present day.
Among those prominent in efforts to
secure this legislation are members of
the homeopathic school who have always
been outlawed by the allopathic school
of medicine and their system is to-day
denounced by them as having no foun-
dalton in scientific truth, as beng in
fact a humbug and a fraud. Besides
this, there is to-day marked antag-
onism between different men of the
same schools of medicine. not only as to
the use of certain medicines and as to
the pursuance of certain kinds of treat
ment for specified diseases, but as to
whether medicine shall be given at all,
and it is certain that many of the most
eminent physicians of the land, especial
| ly those physicians who are in posi-
ton to be Independent, give but little
and many of them no medicine what
ever, unless it be an@sthetics Large
hospitals and sanitariums have been es-
| tablished for the treatment of diseases
where all medicines of every kind are
banished and depending upon the kind
| ly influences OF nature, first placing
their patients under healthful surround
ings and conditions, some of these in
situations also making right mental and
spiritual conditions of first importance.
| These sanitarlums are mostly conducted
| by doctors in high standing among the
regular schools of physicians, who have
adopted these methods after long years
in the practice of the administration of
drugs. The success of these institu-
tions in helping the feeble and sick to
restoration to health has been so great
that they are rapidly increasing and
many of them have grown to be i'm
mense establishments. All of you doubt
less have personal knowledge of these
sanitariums; such as the one at Battle
Greek, Mich, under the charge of DR..
Kellogg, for many years and perhaps
now, at the head Of the state board of
health of that progressive state. and
in N. Y. there is the large sanitarium
of the eminent Doctors Jackson at
DansvilIe, and the large establishment
at Clifton Springs, both of these
largely patronIzed by people of the
state of Kansas. What would be the
testimony of these eminent physicians
at the head of these institutions as
to the propriety and wisdom of your
giving these dispensers OF drugs. includ-
ing alcohol under the various guises of
whiskey, beer, wine and in other seduc-
tive forms. a monopoly of the practice of
medicine IN the state of Kansas and d.
vesting ourselves of all right of choice,
making them the lawfully appointed
custodians not only of your health and
mine but of every Individual in our
state?
3. This proposed legislation is utter
~ hostile to the spirit OF personal liberty
and the personal rights of individuals.
This feature of our argument is SO plain
that to make the statement is to make
the proof. There is manifestly no shadow
of moral right or of political right pos
sessed by any set of men in the state of
Kansas to dictate to others whom they
shall or whom they shall not employ
when they are sick; the very idea of the
assumption of such authority is obnox-
ious 20 all lovers OF individual freedom.
There has sprung up within recent years
quite number of different schools of
| practitioners who treat the human body
en- tirely without the use of drugs.
Among these, I will mention the mind
healers, faith curers, Christian Science
healers, magnetic healers, and healers
through mechanical manipulation of the
body by rubbing and kneadlng. called
massage treatment, and also the Swedish
movement cure. Some of these methods
have been marked with so much success
that they have come to be recognized
and to some extent adopted by the old
l. L. l