Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-22

dlphtheria. might go on citing innumer-
able proofs of tho high standing of the
profession. I might call to your atten-
ton the names of men prominent in the
medical profession which names will 90
down to posterity as lasting monuments
OF tireless devotion for the good of man
kind. Possibly you do not know the sIeep-
less night, the horrible anxiety of yonr
own family physician when the life Of
some dear one has been hanging in the
balance. You do know with what eager
ness you await his every visit and with
what anxiety you watch his every look for
the decision upon which perhaps depends
almost your own future and when he is
able to give you but a ray of hope with
what JOY you almost bless the hand that
has s0quietly and skillfully famed the
fraIl spark back to life. Is this idle talk?
Gentlemen, have you never had this ex-
peraence? Then thank God you have not.
Those OF you that have, for one minute
think. is it the quack that you depend
upon in these cases? Is it the quack that
Is devotlng his life to the work of adyanc-
ing medical science? There is but one
answer. 1t may be of interest to ask,
where in this world is medical and surgical
science making the most rapid progress?
Ii has been my good fortune to travel
somewhat in my own country as well as
Europe, and / can say from personal
knowledge that is unquestionably where
the most protection and aid is received
from the state.
The State has already protected the
practice of pharmacy, dentistry, and fresh
in your memory is the bill to protect the
xvf,<o ..,s b,
have laws for the regulation of the dentist
and the druggist, is it not important to
have law to define the qualifications of
those who take our lives in their hands?
What arc other states doing in this mat
ter-you have only to refer to the January
number of the journal of Medicine and
Science, which was placed on your desks
early in the session. Maine, Rhode Island
and Alaska are the only states which do
not have medical registration.
If this is q good law for nearly every
state in the union, why is it not for
Maine? None of you are more enthusiast
tic over our grand old State than myself.
/ am proud of our State institutions and
our grand men. Perhaps it would be more
appropriate for someone else to call your at
tention to our medical men, but feel that
they deserve some notice. We have physi-
clans in Maine of whom we may justly
be proud Their standing among their
fellows is high-they have almost national
reputation, assure you. But, gentlemen,
is the State doing it's duty by these men !?
While our State fails to carry out the idea
of it's motto in this matter, thank God
our profession continues to labor and place
themselves in the front rank.
now wish to call your attention to the
bill before us. If you will refer to the
first section OF the bill, you will see that
provision is made that no member of said
board shall belong to the faculty of any
medical college or university, thereby
preventing any monopoly on the part OF
such college. You will also see, near the
end of said section, a provision that not
more than three members OF said
board shall at one time be members OF
any one chartered medical society, there
by preventing any society from controll-
ing the board. You will see in section
three that any person who has been a
practitioner of medicine or surgery in this
State for period of three years, next
prior to the passage thereof shall be al
lowed to register. | want to call
your attention to the expenses
of this board. If you will
notice section 5, you will see that the ex-
penses of the board shall not exceed the
amount received by the treasurer of the
State from the board, in fees, thereby
preventing any,expense on the part OF the
State. Your attention is also called to
section 9, which makes 1t illegal for any
person to practice medicine or surgery Tor
hire. in this State, after January, 1896 land
in this connection, will refer you to chap
ter 70. section 80 of the Revised Statutes.
"Scction 80. If any person who has not
been admitted to practice law in TINS
State, or whose name has been struck
from the roll of attorneys, advertlscs as,
or represents himself to be attorney or
counsellor at law he shall be fined not
exceeding $780, or imprisoned not more
than three months Also chapter ~,
section 90 "Section &c. No person
commencing practice as an attorney or
counsellor at law in any other state or
place, or in any court in this State, with
out the qualifications, oaths, and payment
| of the duty aforesaid, is entitled to demand
or recover any remuneration for his pro-
fessional services rendered in this state,
showing that our legal brothers have
thrown around them similar protection.
| The substance of our bill appears in this
section. 1t is to protect physicians who
have earned the title of M. ID. in the use
Of that title We do not ask anything
else than to have men who are not entitled
to it's uso prevented from using said title
We desire that every man shall sail under
his own flag. We have already in this
House protected the farmer against fraudu-
lent sales of oleomargarine as butter, and
in may ways have we thrown the same
protection. around Others. We beiievt
this is right, we believe it is right thai
the lawyer should be protected in the Use
of his title, so should every other man who
has earned place in this world. why
should not the physician? In section III
Of this act we read that no physician OIL
surgeon who is called from another state
to treat particular case, and VINO aces
| not otherwise practice in this State, mol
to prohibit gratuitous service or the rem
dering of assistance in emergency cases
nor to midwives who lay no claim to the
title of physician or doctor Section II
allows clairvoyants, hypnotists, magnetic
healers, mind cure, massagists, Christian
Scientists or any other method OF heal
- &C 40 ,,o;copous drugs are employed