Evening star., 1897-04-03
QUACKERY IN GERMANY
The Medical Profession Overcrowded and
Embarrassed.
Need of Stringent Laws in the Father
land Pointed Out ms
Remedy.
From the Berlin Letter, Medical Record.

From the Berlin Letter, Medical Record.
1t Is the aim and desire of the German
physicians to keep the professional tone
and standing even cleaner and brighter
than their laryngoscopical mirrors. 1t is a
lamentable fact that Germany abounds
with quacks and "healers.'' This is the re-
suit of lax state of laws which permit
any one who SO wishes to practice the
healing art. Medical practitioners are not
regarded as special professional class, but
are classed with the trades and industries
Ii is the earnest endeavor of all physicians
here to have the dignity and privileges Of
their science and profession formally rec
ognized by law. Included in such a recog
milton would of course be suitable protect
i've measures against quackery. This end
was, and still is, being striven for by our
foremost academic teachers, kussmaul,
Bardeleben, Gerhardt, Won Ziemssen and
others. They favor more rigid medical
examination and say that especially should
the examination in the branches Of hydro
therspy, psychiatry, and in the treatment
of accidents and injuries be more severe.
In Germany one obtains his degree OF doc
tor of medicine at the universities, but any
one can practice as physician who passes
the 'StaatSexamen. The study at the
universities is long Give years. and eXpen-
sive: the increased severity of the exam
nations would result in many attending but
a year or two and then beginning practice.
What is necessary is stringent laws against
quackery. AT present this is out of the
question, for these individuals seem to have
protection from the higher circles. 1t is a
fact that a general suffering from tabes
dorsalis was treated in local hospital by
quack, and the visiting professors were
forced to permit him under their very eyes
to apply daily his special methods" until
he had succeeded In curing his patien.
forever, which sad event took place in a
n irna
The greatest and best-known of all
quacks is the celebrated Pastor kneipp
who still f6urishes here. 1t is admitted
that there is much good in his peculiar
methods, but the general world will never
learn how much harm has been done by
the irrational, forced and excessive applica-
ton of the kneipp cure" by kneipp him
self and his overZea1ous, unreaSoning imi-
tators, because the victims dread the ridi-
cule which would fall upon them il they
complained.
Not only is the profession unprotected
by the law, but directly oppt esSed I'ne lax
authorities have determined to levy an as
seSsment upon all private clinics. Under
the leadership of Won Bergman, a society
or physicians has been formed to uomblt
by all legal means this unjust measure
against physicians.
The medical profession in Germany is
notorlously orercrowded, and in view of
this 1t can be easily understood how doubIy
Oppressive the workings of the law must
| be. In November, 1885, there were 2i.CN)
physicians tpractitioners) in Germany IAN in
crease in the last decade OF 5000 or, in
other words 81 per cent. In Berlin itself
the number was 2,oT. The average of ply
sicians to the population equals i59 per
lo,ooo Tin Hamburg it equals 7I2). 1t is in
tefest1ng to note the increase of rhysicians
and OF the population at the same time.
While the population of Berlin fror, lS.m
10 1870 increased per cent, the number of
physicians increased 35.4 per cent: while in
tne German empire the population in
creased 81 per cent, the number of phy-
sicians increased 22.5 per cent Should this
go on Tor twenty years more, the prospects
Tor our successors certainly do not look
rosy. A reform Of all the factors which
| now conduce to lower the staniiag and
| dignity of the medical profession is an ab-
soiute necessity in order to prevent it from
| sinking to the level of a trade,