The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-13
WAR ON OPTICIANS.
Medical Board Wants Them to
Drop Prefix " Dr."

There is trouble brewing between the
state medical board and the opticians in
Kansas.
A few days ago DR.. H. W. Roby, sec
rotary of the state board, wrote to ]. e.
LittlefeId, of Topeka, warning him that
he must quit using DR." as prefix In
his advertising. DR.. Littlefield is secre-
tary of the International Optical assocf-
alton. and he promptly replied that ne
would not accept the suggestion of the
board. It is probable that all the oDtl-
clans in the state will ultimately unite
to fight the new law.
DIR. Littlefeld's letter is as follows:
Topeka, Kas.. Nov. II, 1902.
H. w. Roby. M. D.:
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your
letter of 7th inst, warning me to cease
using the prefix DR.. in connection with
my advertising Several months ago
came before your honorable body, the
medical board. and passed a most rigid
examination to determine my oualifica-
tions as a doctor of OPTICS.
I incidentally paid SIS and received a
certificate of registration emitting me to
use the titles, Dr., Doctor. or Doctor of
Optics. also received the congratula-
tons of several members of the board
because of my high grades. / was told
by the board that I could now advertise
as DIR. and they would protect me. as l
had complied with all the requirements
of the medical law If your present
ruling is correct. it must be evident to
you that 1 have been "buncoed' out of
my money.
The law was originally designed to
shut out the professional optician and
the OsteOpath. Both professions, as well
as dentistry. have always used the pre-
fix DR.. When your bill was introduced
and we found that a clause in it read,
ANY person using the prefix DIR. or
Doctor would be considered as practic-
ing medicine and liable to a fine of 5000, -
we demonstrated and your bill was held
up until you surrendered on this point.
The Osteopath could register on his di-
pIoTna but the optician musAStand trial
before the board at Drohibitive tax of
SIS. You notified DIR. Palmer and DR..
Ward of Concordia to come in and reg
lister or drop the prefix DR.
DR.. Palmer came in and took your
examination but DIR. Wizard defied your
authority and threatened to annihilate
your medical law if you tried to en-
force 1t upon her. Later you told me
that you did not intend to enforce the
law against those who refused to regis
ter. but now you declare your inten-
tions to repudiate your former rulings
and prosecute those who have register
e6
The law does not and cannot give the
NJ. DIS the exclusive use of the prefix
DIR. as you state in this letter. If the
exemption means anything it means
that registered ooticfan can advertise
as DIR. provided he does not represent
himself to be a medical doctor.
Any o4tician who has taken the pre-
scribed course at a chartered optical
college and has had the degree doctor of
optics, doctor of ophthalmology, or doc
tor of refraction conferred upon him by
that college has the moral and legal
right to use the same regardless of the
rulings of any medical board. We IRE
doctors in every sense of the word.
We are learned in our speciality and
know more about the eye and its refa-
ton to human ills tnan any medical
doctor and more than most of your oc-
ulists. We advertise to cure sore eyes
by rational methods. not by burning
the eyes with blue stone and nitrate Of
silver as the oculist does. but by pro-
perly fitted snectacles. These remove
the cause. eye-strain. and the so-cailed
disease disappears. We advertise to
cure headache, stomach trouble and
nervous diseases. not with coal tar