The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-07-23
QUACKS IN NUMBERS


There Are Perhaps 1000 Alleged Ply
sicians In the State.
An idea of the immense number o
Iquack doctors who have been prey
ing upon the people Of this state il
being obtained by the state boart
of medical registration and exami
nation at the present juncture, ,whel
the lapse of the ninety day clause il
the recent law is bringing thu
lquacks to the surface much th'
same as fish are caught in a net
There are quacks of every kind ano
description, and the harvest they
seem to have been reaping in this
state would substantiate the truth o
the adage that the American peo
pie are susceptible of being fooled
all the time. However, under tn,
operation of the new law, the quacl
is being hunted to his lair and TIT
possibilities are that his breed
will soon be eradicated from the
state.
DR.. Dinning of Ft. Wayne, treas
urer, of the board, said yesterday
"Indiana has been away behind al
other states in its medical laws, anC
as a result the state has been the
dumping ground of quacks, wh'
have lived like leeches off of tn,
public. We have not yet a full
idea of the number Of these quacks
but we do not know that there art
perhaps 1000 practicing doctors ir
the state who have not compiled
with the new law. We intend to g
after those fellows now, and they
will have to produce diplomas an(
secure licenses to practice, which 0
course the quacks cannot do, o.
else they must flee from the state
This means that the state will b'
rid of its quacks soon. Under thu
law a heavy fine attaches to practic
ing without license, and it should b.
borne in mind by the public tina
no one need pay doctor bill unless
the physician can show license
obtained from this board. He can
not collect anything for his services
"The number of fake medica
diplomas that are extant in thil
state is something that the genera
public will be slow to realize. Th'
medical board is uncovering them
however, and they amount to q
large number. These diplomas art
bought and sold just as an article ol
merchandise is, the purchaser sim
ply laying down his cash, and with.
out any examination or course ol
study whatever, receiving a diploma
that allows him to practice the i'm.
mensely responsible vocation Of a
and surgeon. There are
several of these colleges in the
United States, and they seem to
have been doing big business in
Indiana. One in Chicago has sent
out diplomas all over Indiana. An
other at Milwaukee is doing a big
and there are several 9TH
ers in Chicago. The price charged
for each diploma is $35, and the
Chicago college of which / first
spoke has made $35,OOO selling
these diplomas, which have no more
value, except for purposes of de-
ceivinp, than piece Of paper.
The faker, without perhaps having
ooked into a medical book, lays
down his $35 and receives a diploma
upon which he commences to prac-
ice medicine.
"These diploma mills are wide
advertisers and have advertised ex-
lensively in an indianapolis paper.
In Lake county alone their are sew
snty-eight of these diplomas extant,
that inst that many fakirs,
and perhaps more, have been living
off Of the public there"
The doctor exhibited a book filed
with hundreds OF names of doctors
in the state who are suspected Of
being fakirs. "These Names said
he doctor, are furnished by the
physicians in each county.
This one, for instance, which has
he note "bought his diploma after
t, is to be investigated on a charge
If having purchased his diploma
rom one of those mills.
There are a great many Of
hat kind Of charges. There is one
way for the public to get even with
hese quacks, and that is, if they
I'VE them doctor bills, simply to re-
use to pay them unless the doctor
license from this board.
That there are great many repu-
able doctors in the state, as we'll as
Iuacks, is evidenced by the fact
hat the board has already, since
lay before yesterday, sent out over
, 900 licenses. The board is work
ng until midnight. and homes TO