The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-03
MARK TWAIN, 0STE0PATH.
APPEARS At PUBLIC HEARING BE-
FORE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE.
His Personal Liberty Piea--Wants to
Try Everything That Comes Along.
Adam, He Says, Was UnjustIy Criti-
CfSeH.
From the New York Times.

Clscu.
From the New York Times.
Albany. Feb, 27.-With Mark Twain
and win Carleton advertised as top lin
ers," the hearing before the Assembly
the Seymour bill to license osteopaths,
drew a big audience to the Assembly
Chamber. Mr.. Carleton did not speak, but
Mark Twain did. For nearly an hour
he had his hearers laughing.
The New York County Medical Society,
which is opposing the bill. was repre-
scented at the hearing to-day by for
midable delegation. Among the speakers
for the society were Dr. Elliot Harris,
DR.. Floyd Crandall. DR.. Frank Van
Fleet, Or. Charles ". Dowd. DR.. Henry
u. Didama, regent of the Medical Uni
Versity of Syracuse, and Jacob Bolin. the
president OF the New York Society of
Masseurs. Assemblyman julius Seymour,
the author of the bill; Attorney Edward
Coleman, and Mason w. Presley, Phil
adelphia osteopath, were the speakers in
support of the bill.
In his speech DR.. Van Fleet made some
caustic personal references to Mark
Twain and to Assemblyman Seymour
lie said: "One OF the reasons which are
given why this bill should be passed rs
that Mark Twain favors IL. Mark Twain
Is very funny man. He writes humor-
Gus books People read them and roll over
the floor with laughter. But no one ever
takes Mark Twain seriously. When he
returned from abroad recently Mark
Twain referred to the American flag as
a dishonored flag. The people did not take
MS utterance seriously. If they had they
would have mobbed him, and justly, too"
MIR. Clemens was sitting within few
feet of DR.. Van Fleet when the doctor
took his fling at him, but he showed no
signs OF being disturbed by the criti-
cisrn.
Dr. Didama Of Syracuse said the pur-
pose of the bill was vicious one 1t
sought TO give a license to practice to
men who, according to their own admls-
sions, did not take a course of study of
half the length required by the state
of all persons who applied to practice
medicine Referring to DR.. Van Fleets
references to Mark Twain DIR. Didama
said:
MARK Twain has the respect not only
OF the physicians of this state, but OF
the whole country. Down under all his
joking we know him to have a great
deal of common sense, and we do not be-
leVe his common sense will permit him
20 give Endorsement to the proposition
which is here advanced"
DR.. Robert T. Morris read from one of
the authorities of the osteopaths the treat
ment prescribed for felon. The treatment
advised consisted i'm moving the muscles
of the finger on which the felon was.
Of hat
readily understood" said DR.. Morris,
when tell you that there are no mus
cies in the fingers" He continued:
Mark Twain may come to you with
jokes, but we are here dealing with life
and death. 1t is "A part of the game
which these people play to get noted
men to indorHe their practice. When a
patent medicine man wants TO advertise
his medicine he goes to a clergyman. They
are used to taking things on faith. These
osteopaths and others go to the great
men IN public life, who give their Indorse-
ment to get their pictures in the papers
or to get rid of the preying solicitor
When the physician wants to try a new
remedy he first tries 1t on the dog He
does not fool with precious human life
1 notice that lot of the indorsem ents
of these osteopaths come from Vermont.
Wen, vermont has such lax laws with re-
salu TO medical practice that 1t is now
the garbage ground of the profession
AT this point of his address Dr. Morris
created something of a sensation. After
referring to the fact that the osteopaths.
according to their authorities, treated
locomotor ataxia by rubbing the spinal
cord and adjusting, as they claimed. by
TINS process, bones which were out of posi-
ton, the doctor produced from a bundle.
Whch ne unWrapped, the spinal cord OF a
child.
Now, there" he said, us the vertebrae
OF little child. / challenge any one of
these osteopaths to move a part of that
bone the fraction of an inch"
crowd gathered around the table unoa,
which the specimen had been laid to
view It, but none of the osteopaths took
up the challenge, although DR.. Morris re-
peated 1t several times, saying: Now,
there are the gloves; come put them on
ana give us an exhibition of your profess
sed skill"
Mark TwaIn;s Purpose.
Attorney Coleman, the spokesman for
the osteopaths, introduced Mark Twain
as the first speaker in their behalf. AZ
Mr.. Clemens faced his large audience he
was greeted with generous applause. Turn
ing to DR.. Van Fleet ne said:
Ihis is the gentleman who gave me
tue CHARACTER. Wen, l want to saw To
him that | have been furnished with
views of my character before he was born
and the men who described it were much
more competent to show up all the in
EQUITIES in 1t than he is 0aughter)
Now. gentlemen of the committee
when | came here, I came with a pur-
pose OF some kind, but 1t is difficult for
me to find out now just what it was.
These debators have knocked 1t all out
of my head. They have put my mind in
sort of maze with their scientific terms
must say that / was both touched and
distressed when they brought out that
part of a child / suppose the object of
it. was to prove that you cannot take a
child apart In that way Qaughter), and /
suppose we must concede that they have
proved that.
why. sir, when I listened to all those
remarkable names of diseases which our
learned medical friends have thrown out
to us here this afternoon 1t made me en-
vious OF the man who had them ALL
Q.aughter) l don't suppose / shall ever
enjoy the felicity of having them all in
the span of life allotted to me, but / am
truly thankful for those / have had
Il am so constituted that / want 20