The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-12
PERSONAL
LIBERTY.
No Gallo Spirit of Regu-
latiOn
in THIS FREE LAND!
"Medcal Trust" Bill Killed in Mas
SachuSeltS.
in THIS FREE LAND
ADDRESS BY PROFESSOR JAMES.

by unanimous vote the committee OF
the Massachusetts Legislature to which
was committed medical trust bill
similar TO that which Is law In Rhode
Island, the so-callei Medicine Prec.
tices" act rejected the proposition which
had come from the State Board Of Regis
tration In Medicine and was endorsed by
the political doctors though the medical
profession generally, as was the case here
In Rhode Island did not appear TO be con-
oerned In its promotion.
The opposition that developed against
the bill was tremendous and the attend
ancs and interest OH the day set for a
nearing TO tho remonstrsnts exceeced
anything in the record tf the Massach hui
setts legislature this season. AnonR
those who spoke against this bill 20 reg
uIats the practice Of medicine. In other
words. TO give authority Co select body
OF moi altogether disinterestei men over
the bodies and souls Of the people of the
commonwealth, were evangelist is. Fav
Mllls, William Llyod Garrison, Prof.
william james Of Haiva'd Universitsy
aud othars prominent in the social. relig-
ious anu educational life of the safe.
Especially notable. according TO all nc
counts. was the address Of Prof. James
OF harvard, which because OF its vigor,
AND at the samo time judicial treatment
OF the question has attracted wide oom-
msnt and warm approval. ihs News
nnds pleasure in reproducing hersW ith the
essentials of Prof. James remarkable sp-
peal which evidently contributed greatly
TO the action Of the committee in uoclai-
lug unanimously that MASSACHUSETTS, had
no need or use for such law rs that pro-
posed.
Professor James said: ! come tn FRO
test against the bill simply as citizen
who cares for sound laws and for the
advance CT medical kLowledge. We're
medicine finished science, with all prac-'
ti.ioners In agreement about methods of
treatment, bill to make it penal to
treat patient without having passed an
examination would to unobjeotionable.
But the present condition Of medical
knowledge is widely differont from such
state. Both as TO principle and as to
practice our know ledge is deplorat ly i'm
perfect. The whole face CT medicine
changes unexpectedly from one gonera-
tion 10 another in consequence Of " idsn-
ing experience, ard as we look back with
mixture OF amusement and horror at
the practice Of our Rrandfathsrs so Wa
cannot be sure Tow large q portion Of our
present practice will awaken similar
feelings In our posteiity.
Each generation ADDS somethin it Is
to be hoped, to the treatment that will
not pass away. Few of us recsll the in
PRODUCTION of the wuter cure, but many
now living can recall the discovery OF
annestbetics Most of us recall wnen
medical electricity ana massage came in,
and We have all witnessed the splendid
triumphs Of antiseptio surgery and are
now hearing of the antitoxine and of the
way in which hyr motto suggestion and
all the other purely mental therapeutic
insthods are achieving cures.
Some OF tho therapeutic methods arose
inside the regular profession, Others out
side Cf IL. In all cases they have ND.
pealed to experience for their credentials.
Dut exreriencs in medicine seems to be
an exceedingly difficult thing. In spits
OF the rival schools appealing to expert
ence, their conflict is much more like
that OF two philosophers or two theolo-
Ries. Your experience says one side 10
the other, simply isn't flt to count How
many OF tire graduates, recent or ear ",
OF the Harvard Medical School have spent
twenty-four hours Of their lives In ex-
perimentslly testing homeopathic reme-
not twenty in the whole commonwealth.
How many or my lsarned medical
friends who today are SO freely denounc-
ing mind cure methods as an abominable
superstition have taken the trouble to
follow up the case Of some mind-curer
one by one, so as TO acquaint themselves
with the results! l doubt II there be a
sinlge individual