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

At a meeting of the joint committee
of the two houses of the Legislature,
held in the Lieutenant Governors room.
on Monday evening, February the 4th,
1895, large number OF the people of
the city were present, the whole room
being crowded to suffocation.
Quito a number of physicians and
prominent citizens were presenr "a, ad-
dress the committee in opposition to
the proposed bill.
Dr. Furber and DR.. Martin of the Ec-
lectic school were opposed to the bill
and DR.. Harding of the Homeopathic
school,
II. II. Brown made an address also
against the bill, and three or four
others.
DIR. Guibor of the State Board of
Health, was the only one who favored
the passage of the proposed bill and he
stated he was not in favor of the pro-
posed bill but appeared before the COM
mittee at the request of the Medical
Board.
Mr. T. E. Bowman, of Topeka. was
the only one who had written address,
and it was as follows:
Gentlemen of the Committee.
It has not been my privilege to thor
oughly examine any of the bills that are
before YOU, and, as these bills are not
printed, they are not easily accessible to
the public. From the abstract published
in the papers of the one which it is sup
posed is recommended by some of the
members of the medical fraternity of
Topeka, we are perhaps enabled to OBJ
tain a fair estimate of their intent and
score These various bills, [ suppose,
all have one common title,-or should
have if the title truthfully presents the
purpose of the bill, namely. "a bill to
Incorporate a Medical Trust, and to
give to the members thereof monopo-
" of the right to doctor all sick people
in the state of Kansas and to collect
moneys therefor In what am about
to say, would have it distinctly under
stood that I ask no protection for the
quack doctors who dispense deadly
drugs or use the knife, and 1 only wish
that it we're practicable to eliminate all
incompetents who are endangering the
lives of our community. those holding
certificates of M. DIS as we'll as others.
With due regard for my medical breth-
against this proposed legislation. Per
sonally, and speaking only for myself,
I can say that I have not wholly out
grown the idea that doctors are neces-
sity, and if I were sick, certainly if I
were very sick, the first thing should do
would be to send for some one of my
friends among these very gentlemen
composing the medical fraternity of To-
peka who are asking you for the passage
of this bill. In asking you for this leg
islation, they are doubtless prompted
largely by a desire to protect the people
from so-called doctors who are utterly
ignorant OF such knowledge of the HUI
man system and of the science of medl-
cine as would make them safe men in
whose care to entrust our lives and
health AS men partaking of the infrm-
tiles common to humanity, we cannot,
however, expect them to be entirely free
from desire to secure personal advan-
tage through the operation of this pro-
posed law. Among the many reasons
why this legislation should not be en-
acted, we present for your considera-
ton the following:
1. 1t is not asked for by the people.
There has never been manifested any
desire on the part of the voters of this
state that their health should be en-
trusted to any certain schools of physi-
clans, and that they should be prohibit
ed by law from employing such physi-
clans as they may desire when they are
sick, or when they imagine they are
going to be sick On the contrary, the
a. I, -
exercise their own liberty of choice and
under all these conditions to employ a
doctor of the old school. homeopathic
doctor, an eclectic doctor, Thomso-
MAN doctor, faith curer, mind healer,
or any other kind of doctor, or no doc
tor at all as they may choose. The par
ties asking for this legislation come be-
fore you somewhat in the capacity of
an association of individuals who ask
for the privilege of a trust giving them
monopoly of treating all the sick peo-
pie Of our commonwealth. If this leg
islation should be granted, it could not
help but result in large financial gain to
to the gentlemen who hold their regular
certificates of NJ. D.. given by these
authorities which they designate
Our claim is that the science of medi-
cine is thus far in the history of the
world too much in it's experimental stage
for any person, or for any body of me n,
orfor any school of medicine to arrogate
to themselves the claim that they pos
sess all the knowledge that is attainable
and are SO worthy of the confidence of
the people of this or any state that the
people should make them the legal
custodians of their health and thus pro-
hibit them from employing other prac-
titioners or counselors than those
who belong to this school. Proof of this
claim is established by the history of med
icine in the past and by the testimony
of many men living and dead eminent
in the medical world.
Much less than century ago. the
doctors of the civilized world were treat
ing their patients for all kinds of dis
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