The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-05-07

iiN iNii NilNi i1iSi y w NhS SONlD-
lished policy of the Commonwealth,
which in the interest of the public
good, requires certain qualifications
in persons who presume. to treat
and cure disease, and he tersely
adds. What the good of the COM
munity requires under the law as it
exists ought not to be imperiled by
the incorporation of a group of cit
izens whose fundamental doctriue
is, that the public good requires no
such thing He therefore recon-
mended that the application for the
charter be refused.
ut was the duty of the Court
below to refuse the charter if IN the
exercise of sound legal discretion
he found its purpose, in whole or
part included anything injurious
to the community.
"Can it be said that there was an
abuse OF discretion in the finding in
this case? We are not to consider
the matter from either theological
or metaphysical standpoint, but
only in its practical aspects.
"It is not a question as to how
far PRAYER for the recovery Of the
sick may be efficacious. The COM
mon faith of mankind relies not
only upon prayer, but upon the use
of means which knowledge and ex-
perience have shown to be efficient.
And when the results Of this
knowledge and experience have
been crystallyzed into legislative
enactmemts, declarative of what the
good OF the community requires in
the treatment of disease, anything
in opposition thereto may fairly be
taken as injurious to the commu-
nifty.
Our laws recognize disease as a
grim reality, to be met and grap-
pied with as such. To secure the
safety and protect the health of the
public fiom the acts Of incompetent
persons the law prescribes the
qualifications of those who shall be |
to attempt the cure Of heal |
ing of disease. 1t is not for the |
purpose Of compelling the use of
any particular remedies, or of any
at all.
"It is only designed to secure
service for those who de-
sire to obtain medical attendance.
In certain diseases the individual |
may be the only one to |
suffer for lack of proper attention,
out in other types, of contagious
or infectious nature, they may be
such as to endanger the whole COM
nunity, and here it is the policy of
he law to assume control and re-
luire the use of the most effective |
Known means to overcome and
stamp out disease which otherwise |
would become epidemic.
"In such cases failure to treat, |
,r an attempt to treat, by those not |
possessing the lawful qualifications
ire equally violative of the policy |
IF the law. 1t may be said that
he wisdom or the folly of depend
ng upon the power of inaudible
prayer alone in the cure of disease
S for the parties who invoke such
1 remedy. But this is not wholly
rue. For none Of us liveth to |
himself, and no man dieth to him
SELF and the consequence of leav-
ng disease to run unchecked in the
community is so serious that sound
public policy forbids it.
"Neither the law, nor reason,
las any objection to the Offering of !
prayer for the recovery of the sick. |
But in many cases both law and
sense require the use of
'ther means which have been given
10 for the healing of sickness and
he cure of disease. There is ample
,oom for the Office of prayer in
seeking for the blessing of restored
health, even when we have faith
ully and conscientiously used all
he means known to the science and
lrt of medicine.
"The findings of fact by the
earned master and the conclusions
IF law therefrom and the opinion of
he Court below, in which they are
summarized and approved, vindi-
,ate the action taken.
Under the we'll defined policy
Of the law of Pennsylvania as at
present existing we are satisfied
hat there was no abuse of sound
eeal discretion in refusing the ap-
plication for charter.
"The appeal is quashed and the
order refusing to approve the char