Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-02
NEW MEDICAL BILL
Dr.. Woodward's Plan for Regulat-
ing Practice in the District.
PROVIDING EXAMINING BOARDS
Order Preventing Practice by Per-
sons in Office. ss
pa
-
OF OPINION

| ri
Dr. William C. Woodward, the health
officer of the District of Columbia, submit
| ted to the Commissioners this afternoon
the draft of bill designed to regulate and
| limit the practice of medicine in the District.
! For some time past there has been evident
| a pressing need for some restrictions upon
medical practice. Efforts have been made
| at one time and another to prepare Dill
which would answer all requirements, but
these efforts have so far fallen through
| op ing to the failure of practitioners of the
1 different schools of medicine to agree on
some compromise measure
DIR. WoOdwards Bill.
In his bill DR.. Woodward has embodied
| not only the results of his own del1bera-
| lions and the results of conferences with
| other representative medical men, but also
| suggestions which he has received from
| laws in force in other sections of the coun-
| try. The bill as it stands now would MI
| between two and three columns of The
Evening Star.
The bill provides for the appointment OF
| a board of medical supervisors, who shall
have general charge of the matter OF re-
stricting or regulating the practice OF medl-.
| cine in the District. The president of each
| of the examining boards of the three
| schools is to be member of the board OF
| supervisors, and the other two-for there
are to be five members of the board-are
| to be appointed by the District Commission
| ers, and may not necessarily be medical
| men. Each school of practice is to arrange
| for examining board of five members,
and the bill provides for the organization,
duties. emoluments, &C., of these different
bodies.
After the passage of the bill students who
desire to De admitted to the practice, Of
medicine must amply to the board of super
yisorS for a license to practice, with
license fee Of $40, and be by them certified
for examination to the board of the school
in which they desire to practice. Every APP
plicant for a license must he twenty-one
years Of age and of good moral standing.
Up to 1897 he must bring the certificate
from some legally constituted medical
school showing that he has graduated after
at least three years study. In and after
the year 1897 he must have been a student
for at least four years, as the leading medl-
cal schools of the country. All seem to be
of the opinion that the longer term is
necessary to qualify man to practice in
such an important field as medicine. At
least a week before their examina lions,
which are to be held regularly once quar-
ter, the board of examiners must submit to
the board OF Supervisors a list of questions
winch they desire to ask. and from this lis.
the DcarF OF Sulri\ISCrS Will select the
questions which arc to constitute the ex-
animation, which examination is to be The
same for AL ar p,iCants.
On the strength of these examinations
the board of supervisors will issue licenses
giving the right to practice medicine in the
District. Provision is made that physi-
clans who are regularly certified and reg
istered at the time of the passage of the
act shall not be compelled to submit to an
examination, and also for the issuance of
licenses to physicians in good standing
who come from other parts of the country
with certificates from their respective
boards of examiners. Provision Is also,
made for the issuance of licenses to women
who desire to practice midwifery in the
District All licenses, whether for physi-
clans or midwives, must be registered with
the clerk of the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict, and may be revoked if the holder is
convicted on proper trial before the board
Of supervisors, subject to the final action
of the District Commissioners, of habituaI
lnebrlety or the practcing of criminal
ahortionS, or the conviction In court on a
charge involving moral turpitude. The
practice of medicine by any one not hold
ing a license is made misdemeanor pun
ishable by a suitable fine, or by imprison-
ment In the Jail of not less than ten nor
more than ninety days. Any man is re
garded as practicing who affixes the letS
ters IN. D. or IN. b." or who processes
to treat or heal physical ailments. infirmi-
ties or injuries. The giving of standard
remedies without charge or expectation Of
reward is not regarded actual practice
and service in the case of actual emergen-
of the act.
Other Matters.
This Is but the merest outline of DR..
Woodwards suggestion for law, but 1t
will give some idea Of what 1t is intended
to accomplish. There is nothing in the
bill which seeks to prevent ad-
vertising on the part of medical prac-
titioners, but it is the intention of the franz
ers of the bill to give some certainty to
the public that those who advertise as
medical men shall be at least worthy of
consideration and credence. After a prac-
titioner once gets his license he may prac-s
tice in any school he wishes, but there are
certain subjects on which all applicants
must be examined to assure a certain
amount Of knowledge to all. ~ t-
Doctors In Office.
Another matter bearing upon the prac-
tice of medicine in the District is involved
in the order issued last Saturday to the
effect that employee of the pension de-
partment shall practice medicine. There
are twelve regular physicians in the medi-
cal division, and some of these have been
doing quite little business outside of
Office hours, but they must now give up
their practice or their position in the de-
partment. The matter has come to; a
head at the present time during the preva-
lence of the smallpox scare, and the COM
missioner concluded, in order to prevent
any possible spread of contagious disease
in the department, to take the only nIeRS-
ure of prevention which was in his power.
The physicians who are affeced do not
like the new rules at all, but 1t must be
admitted that it gives general satisfaction
to the regular practitioners of the city.
These latter complain that their sphere Of
work is seriously affected by these SUN
down. DOCTORS as physicians in the de-
partments are dubbed, these practi-
TONERS are able and often willing to take
cases for less remuneration than regular
physician could well afford to do. The de-
partmental physicians say that they would
be willing to forego all contagious cases,
but the regulars say that this would be out
of the question, as a physician must an
swer every call without stopping to in
ouire first as to the nature of the case.
The matter has given rise to a great deal
of discussion, as there are a considerable
number of physicians in the various de-
partments and they are all on the anxious
bench wondering whether the action of
the commissioner of pensions will find
imitators in other branches of the gov
eminent.
NO NEW CASES.
Smallpox Seemingly Mt stand
Still.