The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-19

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
There has been of late much that savors
quite strongly of wrangling published in the
columns of the Journal between the old
school doctors. or NJ. d. s, and the d. O's
or diplomates in osteopathy. | am an osteo-
path, and as such am displeased to see GER
tain attacks written by any one of our pro-
fession that are calculated to beittle the
character or professional ability of the med
ical practitioner, for not only does it seem
to me out of place and uncalled for. but
that it actually hurts our cause, except in
asmuch as anything published duplicating
the name osteopathy incites the investiga-
ton of the public. which we most assuredly
desire. I do not wish to pose as peace
maker, but at the same time would like to
call attention to some apparent misunder-
standings between these parties 1t seems
that some of our osteopaths regard the
State Board of Registration as arbitrary
and personal in its opposition to the ad-
vancement of osteopathy in Indiana, and on
the other hand, some of the medical pro-
lessons regard us as lawbreaking mon
strosities, and have the impression that we
think them unjust and dogmatic. Now
fail to see the necessity of much of this
especially personal i'll feeling, for it is not
a personal injustice of any one man or body
of men toward another, but merely the in
evitable determination of a point of law
that has not, as yet been decided in this
State. namely, as to whether the law reg
ulating the practice of medicine can be so
construed as TO include the practice of
osteopathy. L believe most of the attorneys
OF this city would concur with me in stating
that the spirit of this medical law aims
simply to protect the public against the
giving and prescribing of drugs by those
who are not versed in medical science And
Whiln W. o Two no HrrRg ar,1
no complaint of an osteopath doing any one
injury, the NJ D's-no matter what the
motive-wish to question our right to prac-
ttce osteopathy having no license to prac-
tice medicine; we should not look upon it
as a persecution, even though we know it
to be prompted by a selfish desire.
/ think we further make mis-.
take in presuming the ordinary
medical practitioner to be ignorant of the
anatomy of the human body, as some of
our number have suggested, and that he is
rake II he takes a postgraduate course
IN osteopathy and then calls himself an
osteopath, having been quite as thoroughly
master, on entering such course, of those
subjects taught during the junior terms of
an osteopathic institute as is the regular
osteopathic student of from twelve 10 If
Teen months: If the medical profession
choose 70 , cal US quacks let us. not be gull
similar appellation, but rather behave as
gentlemen while the merits of osteopathv
N; II. also make no small mistake in con-
sidering us bad citizens or IaWbrea xers
Tor when a test case shall have been had il
may reveal decision contrary to their ex-
pectations, as was the case in Ohio of os-
teopathy,, Eastman VS.. The State. Ohio's
medical law IS more comprehensive than
that of Indiana. AS to the ultimate recor-
milton by law, and the good standing i'm the
eyes OF the people of our science in this
State. there is, in my mind, most naturally
no doubt, for such has been the final result
in every State where this struggle has
been once begun.
PERLEY S. BROWN, d. o.
indianapolis, Dec. IS