The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-14

A very well attended meeting of the
Lackawanna County Medical society
was held last night in the select coun-
Gil chamber In the city hall. DR.. w.
M. Reedy read a paper on "Raynold's
Disease" and DR.. ]. G. Bateson also
read one giving his views on "Oste-
opathy." DIR. Bateson's paper, which
was very well received, was as fol-
lows:
The word osteopathy, literally rend-
cred, means the science Of bones. but
as applied to the modern fad Of treat
ing diseases. it represents q process OF
rubbing or manipulation. This Is not
a new method, since 1t has been in use
for ages, but It IL now put under cover
Of a mis-applied name, making 1t
'scapegoat' in order to win the title
Of doctor" In the easiest way possible,
and so avoid the long and rigid course
Of study and hard work laid down In
a medical college curriculum. 1t has
proven to be quite successful scheme
Tor making money and fame at the ex.
pense of deluded people.
This rubbing system virtually does
away with a four or five years medi-
cal course, including hospital and
laboratory training. The skill and ex-
perience Of all the great medical sci
entists and teachers, both past and
present, are turned down as failures.
The study of anatomy. dissection of
the body, physiology, surgery. pathol-
physics. materia medica, chemistry,
ETC., are of little consequence to the
osteopath. Manipulation is made to
take the place Of these sciences and Is
lauded as the cure-all par excellence.
According to this pseudo philosophy
all the sick need to do is to pay fancy
prices and get rubbed, until restored
to their senses.
ANOTHER CLASS.
There is another class Of profession
ais that should be contrasted In this
connection, namely. trained nurses.
They are taught how to apply mas
sage, or rubbing. when it Is practical.
They understand the use Of electricity,
surgical appliances. baths, and how to
prepare food and medicine for the sick,
and yet. the members Of this noble
profession do not pretend to be SUPER
ior to physicians or take their places.
In all first-class schools for nurses the
required time to complete a course of
study Is from two to three years. and
the required standard Is superior to
that of the American school of oste-
Opathy.
II is IHe RUE anu pTlNllese VI Icsu-
lar physicians to select whatever sys-
tenn, remedy, or means. is best suited
to a given case. but never to make a
cure-all out of any one thing, so that
while massage or rubbing may be
beneficial in some cases, 1t would be
the height of folly for an up-to-date
| physician to use such a remedy only.
in the treatment Of smallpox, diph-
theria. typhoid fever, heart disease,
| nttn of
| Nor would a good surgeon expect 10
succeed by the rubbing plan In the re.
moval Of tape-worn. choledocholithi-
asis, tumors, cancer. piles, corns. etc.
and surely an osteopath cannot INTEL
ligently and successfully treat bv his
method such diseases as bleparocon-
junctivitis. parenchymatous nephritis
angina Observation-Disclosures. endosal'
pingitis pappillioma, pachymeningitis
or retinitis albuminuriae, and withou,
a study of anatomy he cannot know
the origin and distribution of tn;
phrenic nerve, or the structure of tn;
pacinian bodies, or the mode of origi'
and form of the ventriculous termin
alis of the spinal cord, or the brain o.
pithecantropus erectus. etc.
The osteopath says that the human
body Is a complicated machine, tha
disease Is the creaking of the eccer
tricities of any or all parts Of the ma
chinery," and that "osteopathy claims
to cure nothing, but only to restore tn
body to a normal condition and le
nature effect the cure"
WHAT 1T IS.
The very fact that the osteopath ha
never dissected and learned the nitric
acies of this wonderful human machin
IL conclusive proof that his opinion o
such subjects amounts to simply cir
cumlOcutory cycle of Oratorical sonor
osity circumscribing an atom Of iden
tity and lost in a verbal profundity.
Through a recent decision by Judg
8. B. Toney, Of Kentucky. that state 1
rid of the incubus of osteopathy. 9Th
state board of health took the troubl
to send a commission to Kirkville, Mo
the home of osteopathy, to make al
investigation. They showed that ou
of q faculty of fourteen professors onl
one was an M. D., and even he seeme
to be in ill-repute." The prospectus q
that school, discussing Osteopathy, ridi
culed the use of drugs and surgica
procedures, and yet professed to cure