Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-07
DO|NGS OF DOCTORS.
Illinois homeopathic Medical
Association Elects
Officers.
DR.. G. F. OoUFANT MADE PRESIDENT

| poses the Regulation of Medical Practice
by Law-Eumber of Interesting Papers
Heard-A Trip to che Western Hospital.
The sessions of the Illinois Homo
| opathic Medical association, in pro-
gress at the Harper house, are in
| creasing in attendance and interest,
another delegation of physicians
arriving from Chicago and other
points today, until now many of the
leading practitioners of the hoGmo-
pathic school of the state are present
The election of officers was held this
morning with the appended result:
President-Dr. q. f. Ooutant, La
Sale.
First Vice President-Dr. II. c.
Allen, Chicago.
Second Vice Prasident-Dr. Abbie
A. Hinkle, Evanston.
Treasurer-Dr. f. Z. Downey, Gin
ton.
secretary-Dr. Edgar j. George,
Chicago.
Provisional Secretary-Dr. C. H.
Long. Pontiac.
DIR. II. NJ. Bascom, of Ottawa, was
chosen to ill a vacancy on the board
of censors.
There was a paper on The Legal
Questions Involved in the Proposed
Bill. by DR.. c. f. Colwell, of Au-
rora; Medical Legislation in General
the Proposed Bill in Particular, "
DR.. II. NJ. Bascom, Ottawa; "Hy-
gienic Possibilities in the Country
Home" DIR. j. b. Durham, Wenona;
''Dietetics, - DR.. F. W. Gordon, Ster-
ling.
a resolution was adopted that The
association desires to see the standard
of medical education and practice ele-
waited to more uniform level, and
that though the new bill for a new
medical practice act does not meet
its approval, it hopes by further con-
ference and thought among our
selves and other schools of medicine
that some acceptable methods may
be formulated. -
Drs. Z. Bradford. F. ID. Paul. +. G..
Aorey and ii. G. Chase. OF Rock ISL
and; +. G. Skinner. of Port Byron: L.
L. Allen and NJ. NJ. Thompson. of Chi
cago, were admitted to mem bership.
The doctors will visit the western
hospital for the insane at WATERFOWL
this afternoon and become the guests
of DIR. Taylor, the superintendent.
President Cowperskwaite's Address.
The doctors held a session last
evening, when Dir. A. G.. Cowperth-
waite, the president, delivered his au-
nual address. He first spoke of the
pleasure of renewing old friendships
and forming new acquaintances, and
then dwelt at considerable length
upon the necessity and valEe of or
ganiZatiOn and the duty of the pro-
fession to sustain their state and ma
tional medical societies. He stated
that it was through the protective
power of these associations that
homeopathy was triumpha Mt, and
without which it would long since
have lain crushed and bleeding under
the heels of an intOlerant and oppres-
sive bigotry. DR.. Cowperthwaite
then reviewed the history of homoeo-
patty in Illinois for 30 years, since he
spoke of the rapid growth of the sys-
milton by the public. He referred es-
pital for the Insane being placed
under homeopathic control, and
suggested that the time was ripe to
have homeopathic medical depart
ment i'm the state university. The
most important feature of the address
was President COwperthwaite' atti-
tude on tie subject of state medical
legislation. 1t appears that he has fer
many years been opposed to all forms
of proscriptiVe medical legislation,
and the present occasion was taken |
of to strongly impress
these views upon the society, which |
was done in an able an convincing |
manner He claimed that up to the |
present time all such laws had proven |
unsatisfactory, were unjust and OPP
pressive and opposed TO the spirit of |
liberty. He said the true
physician needed no such restrictive |
laws. but was perfectly able to take |
care of himself against all corners. |
He held that there should be but |
one standard of medical Elf |
cheney and that the college diploma. |
Regulate the colleges and force them 1
to do good work. but do not try to /
regulate individual graduates of these
colleges All laws had so far failed |
to regulate the quack, but many reg
ulatsd the legitimate profession and
made il zach year more difficult for |
well educated physicians to practice
medicine. Physicians of the greatest
and eninence would not dare
risk their professional reputation in
moving from one state to another, as
they would be required TO pass an
examination on primary branches
long since forgotten 1t was equally |
unfair to require new graduates who
had already passed hard final exam
nation TO he obliged 10 pass another
before they could begin practice.
Many arguments were produced to
show the truth OF this position The
Doctor said in closing this subject:
AT the same time, should the issue
be forced upon us, and we be obliged