The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-08
Fair Play for Everybody.

There Is no desire on the part of
the medical profession, as we
are assured. to deprive the osteopaths
of the right to practice. On the con-
trary. the profession. by their proposed
law. invite them to place on the
medical board. and simply ask them to
submit their students to the same ex-
animation on subjects not peculiar to
osteopathy that all other applicants
for license are obliged to take They
hold that knowledge Of disease is the
ultimate test of capacity to care for
the sick. What line of treatment a
doctor chooses to employ is not a fair
subject for examination. and the board
cannot examine or enter into the treat
ment by osteopathy or by drugs. The
examination determines the applicants
knowledge of disease. his capacity to
properly diagnose a case. The studies
that fit one to make a diagnose are
Identical in all schools Of medicine, and
students of all schools should submit
to the same test as to their capacity
Separate boards of examiners are OBJ
jectionable because:
First-It establishes a double stand
ard of qualification for doctors, and one
board may therefore turn out doctors
of an inferior class to the other
Second-If the osteopaths are given
a separate board the allopaths, homeo-
paths. eclectics and other schools will
naturally claim similar boards, with
consequent lack Of uniformity in re-
quirements.
Third-In the branches in which 1t is
proposed to make the examination the
studies and text books are identical In
the osteopathic and allopathic colleges
and there is no reason why the stu
dents who receive identical instruction
should not be examined by a single
board.
Fourth-The experience of the med
ical board during eleven years fails to
show a single complaint of unfairness,
although it has examined allopaths,
homeopathic. eclectics and physio-
medics. and there is less liability Of
unfairness in such an examination
than in one conducted by a special
school for examination Of it's own stu
dents.
Fifth-There is to be no examina-
llOl Oil Oily SuDJCCl OCdItuS OH tuG
treatment of disease. hence it
is of no consequence whether the can
didate belongs to one school or an
other
Sixth-The only object of the board
is to determine that doctors taking the
responsibility of life shall have the
capacity to know the disease which
they are treating. and to distinguish
one disease from another Equal ca
pacity requires an equal test.
Seventh-If the osteopaths under
stand the diagnosis of disease, and are
So superior to the other schools as they
the same test as to capacity that the
law provides for others.
Eighth-The new medical law gives
the right to the governor to appoint
osteopaths and members Of any other
school upon the board-an evidence Of
fairness Of intention on the part Of
the older schools.
Ninth-The demand for a separate
board may be construed as a sign of
weakness on the part Of the osteopaths
AS we understand the contention of
NAAS O''N'peAeho, lASS SIMPLY want Ialr
play-they do not want more than falls
TO the lot of their associates in med
1clne. They are entitled to fair play
nothing less, certainly nothing more.
1t is high time for the state of Min
nesota to give statutory attention to
the character and qualifications of it's
medical practitioners. A single news
paper-The Glo b e-recently pre-
sumed to expose humbug. whose spe-
cialty was divine healing" and it was
hauled into court On the charge Of