Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-10
FREE MEDICINE AND TREATMENT.
A Bill In the Legislature Providing for state
Dispensary Physicians.

SpeClhl correspondence VI uhAptlS hhu uuhlit"i
Dover, March Z. - Representative
Thompson has received FROM ono OF his
constituents a bill entitled IAN Act |
Providing for Dispensary Physicians
Throughout the State of Delaware. "
The text of the bill follows:
"Whereas, The practitioners Of medi.
cine and surgery in this State obtained |
an act OF the Legislature on April 18th. |
1895, whereby trust or combination OF
said guild we're enabled to prohibit any |
physician from any other State, or
any professor Of medical college or
any physician bearing diploma from
any college, from practicing medicine
in this State, under penalty OF from
| slo0 to $500, or imprisonment for one
year, aud thereby barring out all com
petition and advanced knowledge of
medicine or surgery, and form cnmbina,
| ton prices, and tho people have no re
dress; therefore,
"Bu il enacted by tho Senate and
IIouss Of Representatives of the State
Of Delaware, in General Assembly met:
"Sertion !. That tho Goyernur Of the
| State of Delaware be and lie is hereby
authorized and required TO appuint a
practicing physician in each and eyory
town in this State containing =. DUO or
more inhabitants, Rs disaensary ply,
stefan, who shall keep an Office in said
town and dispense medicines and medi
cal advice free Of charge to any citizen
Of the State Of Delaware. The said
physician shall he appointed for seven
years and shall sevnrally bs sworn to
perform the duties OF thor Office with
fidelity, and shall each puy tn the Sec
rotary Of State, for the use OF tho Stnte,
fee OF ton dollGra.
Ser. .. Said physicians shall do no
other businoa5. Thay shall keup n true
account oil all medicines purchased by
them, aud the distribution thergn'.
,IhRy shall scyeraiy present to the
Levy Court OF the county in which they
reside true 6tatNmcnt, acc0mnnniud
by Vouchers for all the medicine pur-
J chased and distributed by them, and
the quantity left on hand,
"Sec. 3. That the Levy Court of
each county shall at its regular annual
, session audit the accounts OF the dis
pensary physiciuns and draw an order
upun tls county treasurer for the
amounts sevcraly due than for meii
, cines purchased, nat exceeding s20O in
amy one year. and the amount left on
hand shall be the property Of tho
} county in which such dispsnsary ply
} siciRn resides. Said physicians snail
severuly credit thu county with the
l amount found on hand.
"Sec. 4. The said dispensary physi
3 clans shall oach receive three hundrad
t dollars yearly for their services, aa ful-
lows THIS Levy Court OF each county
2 shall authorize the clerk OF tho peace
Q 10 that county tu draw orders upon the
q county treasurer quarterly for tho sum
I | - H,,a ii, Co. ~ . a
said diRpensary physicians in their
| respective counties, aud take receipts
, for TIM snIne.
n Sect. All acts and parts Of acts not
/ consistent with this act are hereby re-
= pealed."
i The person from whom Mr.. Thompson
b received the bill is resilient of Sussex
y county. and In support of it he wrote
!. Mr.. Thompson a letter, Of which the
n following is an extract:
i "Our doctors have virtually formed a
'r trust, that by corporation act oi the
l. Legislature, enables them to keep ou
!, competition. They make outrageous
10 charges for their services, and aB al
10 excuse for so doing say they lose sc
e much by attending poor people.
N "This bill will give the poor medica
30 attendance and will remove the ductor'i
lf oxouse for his big bills, for tho wa.
ia they are doing now they will soon owr
d every poor man'e house in the state, TO
Or as soun as he dies they make out thei
ly bill. have it probated and it takes al
q the poor man hud to pay il, ami thu
Of the property OF tho poor is going iuti
O. the DOCTORS hands.
IN ~ think il the law was repealed tina
ID the doctors had passed on April 18th
"a I,n .t,ttrt 1.
D. that would accept Of tine appointment
II all our physiclanH were paid by tn
IN State it would be cheaper TO tho tax
as payers to pay higher tax and less bill
O. or M bills to the doctora.
n .'lt appears That our whole countr
be ia ruled by trusts, and tho doctors
lie truet is one of the meanest of all, 70
ut they are not limited in their prices, bu
re- charge what they pleuse. know of
nd doctor who charged for two visits be
o, fore he ever came TO tho house.
ee know of another who attended perso
cd about one month. and when the patien
ey died under his hands he had hill pro
It's baied for Slll. And so the matter goes.
la The law which tho writer OF th
ng lstter thinks Bhould be repealed is a
III act passed on April 18th, 1888, or
by titleu IAN Act Regulating the Practc
no Of Medicine and Surgery 10 Th
at State The law is introduced wit
>. tho follnwing preamble:
ed "Wharoas, This safety of the publ
Ia may he endangered by incompeteI
of physicians and surgeons, and uue II
lg gard for public heath aud the pressrvI
int tion OF human life demands that nor
a but competent ana properly. lualiiit
he physicians and surgeons shall bo q
on lowsd to practice their profession
nts therefore, &c. !"
ion Provision is made in the law for
ace meuica cuuncil, consisting Of tho Chi
md Justice and the presidents of the "
Iall State boards Of medical examiners. ~
to board has row6r to adopt regulatio
urs for it's own government. and ia rnqu In
ing to hold two stated meetings year al
San issue certificates for license to practi
re- madeleine and surgery to persons VI
bat have passed examinations and prese
pon diplomas There arc two medical {
list, cieties, one heing The President a
UGH Fellows of tho Medical Snciety
ire Delaware" and the otter "The IIomu
IL pathic Medical Society of DeawJ
I'm State anu Peninsula. - There arc a
for two boards of examiners, one rep
Henting each society. Applicants
icenss TO practice medicine must Fl
no examined hy one Ut the hoLrda d
aiterward he paeaed upon by the Me-
4