The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-06
OSTEOPATHS WON GREAT
 VICTORY IN THE HOUSE

range or human possibility to draw a bill which would satisfy the doctors if it contained the word osteopathy.'"
 The substitute he said had been pre- pared to meet the objecuons of the doc tors and it specially provided that no applicant was to be licensed to practice osteopathy unless he had studied the science for two years. The substitute he said specially, provided that the osteo- path was not to practice surgery. The bill further provided that the applicant must stand an examination before the State Board on subjects specified in the bill. The applicant would then have to stand another examination on osteopathy before professors of osteopathy espe- pecialy appointed by the Governor for that purpose. The examining osteopath he said would have no connection or rela- tion with the members of the State Board.
 Scientific Massage a Good Thing.
 The doctors, MT. Benners argued. claimed that osteopathy was nothing more than scientific massage. They admitted that massage was a good thing in some cases; then why should they make so much objections to the scientific practice of massage rather than by an ignorant person. If 1t was quackery or humbug- gery he argued why do the doctors en-
 
 Mir. Benners read the bill and pointed out the regular medical subjects on which the applicant had to be examined before the State Board. Then he pointed out the osteopathic subjects under which he was to be examined by the Professor of Osteopathy. He submitted to the House that no reasonable man could find objections to the bill as it stood. Under the present laws he declared that the ten practiq1pners of osteorathy in Ala bama ereciearly criminal in their prac- tice. The bill he said would only have the effect of legalizing their practice as he felt sure that under the bill being dis cussed no other applicant would be per- mitted to pass by the doctors.
 He contended that the men and women in Alabama who were receiving treatment from the osteopaths and who had been benefited by 1t should be allowed to have their services.
 He read several letters from prominent citizens in the State testifying to the benefits that they rad received and said that he had a number of other which he would refrain from reading.
 And the Spectators Laughed.
 As to the doctors Mr. Benners said that he would read from Holy Writ the ac- count of the case of Asa. He read the chapter wherein King Asa was ill with a disease of his feet. MT. Benners en- phasized the concluding words of the chapter.
 He trusted himself to the physicians and Asa slept with his fathers
 A general laugh followed the reading but Mir. Benners did not comment upon the chapter.
 In concluding MT. Benners said that he only asked that the House allow those men who want osteopathy, to have it.
 MT. Bankhead. of Walker. in an elo- quent speech fought the bill on the ground that it was direct attack upon the splendid medical system in Ala abama |. The bill. he said. was a dangerous thing and one that had not been sufficiently considered. He said that he had no objections to osteopaths provided they stood the regular State examination. He spoke with pride of the medical system of the State and said that Alabama had been a pioneer in enacting laws for the protection of its citizens from irres- ponsible quacks. The Legislature, he said. should not hinder or pull down the doctors in their great work. He denied the imputation contained in the remarks of MT. Benners that the State Medical Board would be prejudiced against the applicants to practice osteopathy. The fact that osteopathy, he said. did not recognize or did not know anthing about certain studies was no reason why the standard should be lowered.
 'I will oppose said Mir Bankhead "any effort to lower the standard of any profession that serves the people,"
 Charm of Mrs. Ligon.
 He spoke of the charm of Mrs. Lgon. the advocate of osteopathy before the committee. but said that the House should not allow itself to be swayed from Its duty by feminine charms.
 MT. Simpson of Lauderdale. in a few forceful remarks supported the bill. He esteemed highly the doctors of the State and said that he believed in retaining them as the guardians of the health of the State. He denied that the bill lower ed the tone of the medical profession in Alabama. He asked if the course the doctors were pursuing in opposing the osteopaths was not doing more to lower the tone of the profession than anything contained in the bill, Under the present law MT. Simpson pointed out, any man can hire any ignorant person to rub him. The bill provides that he can now get an intelligent educated person to do the rubbing.
 MT. Callahan of Morgan submitted that II was HO dI lOE lue Dlll tIldl SOIile persons wanted ignorant persons to rub them. He contended that 1t was the duty of the State to protect people and some times to protect them against them selves. The bill. he said. recognized new school. He did not believe that medicine was made up of schools, but he did bleieve that 1t was the great science.
 The new school. he said, admitted that while 1t did not practice surgery there was sometimes necessity for surgery. He wanted to know what chance a person Ln the hands of an osteopath and one who needed surgery could have of getting treated by a surgeon in time. He said there would be no end to the licensing of schools of medicine if 1t was once started.
 Objections of a Doctor.
 MT. Johnson of Russell. who Is a practis ing physician. declared that the bill was objectionable and open to criticism on several points The chief objection. he said was that it lowered the standard of the medical profession of the State. which had been twenty-five years in building He spoke of the low standard of medical examinations and of the low curriculum.
 This bill" he declared seeks to break down the medical standard which re- ouired twenty five years to erect and per feet"
 There was no calculating, he said, the amount of mischief that was in the hii. He pointed out that the osteopaths would use no drugs.
 They are not authorized" he said. "to give drugs to strengthen the fagging heart and thus snatch life from death"
 The bill would, he said. turn loose on