Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-03
THE MEDICAL BILL.
A Large Throng Present to Protest
Against the Measure.

Boston, March 2-The continued hear
ing on the bill for the regulation of the
pratice of medicine and the registra-
tion OF physicians in the commonwealth
attracted the largest attendance of any
hearing this year before legislative
committee. Nine out of every ten of
those present were remonstrapts to the
proposed legislation, and the committee
room was only half large enough to ac-
commodate those who desired to gain
admittance and participate in the hear
ing.
There was a number of lawyers pres
ent. F. D. Edwards represented spirit
ualists' societies. Judge Grover of Can
ton the Metaphysical Club of Boston,
and Harrison D. Barrett, editor of the
Banner of Light, John H, Manning of
Pittsfeld, representing the druggists Of
Berkshire county, and S. A. " Shep-
ard of Boston, the State Pharmaceutical
Association of Massachusetts, opposed
to the bill, on the ground that it would
prevent druggists from administering
medicine in cases of emergency. Fran
els M Harris, druggist of Worcester,
also objected to the bill.
The remonstrants heard today were
Rev. B. Fay Mills, the evangelist; F. d.
Edwards, representing 100 spiritualists;
liam James of Harvard College. The
latter denounced the bill as movement
in the direction of ignorance and class
legislation of the most hideous kind.
William Lloyd Garrison made the prin-
cipal speech against the bill. He said
in part:
"I desire to enter an earnest protest
against the bill under discussion. 1t is
a violation of individual rights and in
the interest of special privilege. Osten-
sibly an act to protect the community
from malpractice in reality its motive
is to restrict competition and secure the
monopoly of treating disease to those
who bear the credentials of an estab-
lished and recognized school 1t is not
a new undertaking, but the indefinite
repetition of an attempt to limit admis-
sion to the temple of healing since the
first organized body of practitioners Sc
cured legal possession of it, far back
in the dim twilight Of civilization. 1t
never vet succeeded, except in postpon-
ing for a while, the destruction of the
monopoly, for in the end the innovators
triumphed.
IN NV own memory, the homeopaths
were prescribed by the regular school
and denounced as charlatans and
ouacks, just as those who now practice
mental healing are now; but they have
conquered their position and are in
cluded in the ranks, against which the
pioneer disciples of Hahnemann We're
forced bitterly to contend. Therefore,
to narrow the service which offers itself
for the healing of humanity by such
devices as the one proposed, is to retard
the growth of true science and keep
longer in use old methods which have
had their day.
our protest is not against education
or skill, but for liberty, without which
both must suffer Medical truth is not
confined to the faculty.
come representing no interested
parties in this discussion, but as citi-
zen. jealous of all infringements of the
law Of equal freedom, In behalf of the
right of the people to chose their own
physicians, in the name of just law
which this act would contravene and in
the true interest of the medical profess
sion itself, which can only be dishon-
ored by such unworthy devices. 1 ask
your committee to stamp with unani-
nous disapproval the petitioners re-
quest.
The hearing was continued until to-
morrow at 10 O'clock