The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-26
a FEW WORDS FROM DIR. BATTLE.
Ee Talks of the Biggs Case and Explains BIS
Attitude

To the Editor: My habits of life are
such as to naturally render me averse to
newspaper correspondence, / am more IA
miliar with the probe and scalpel than with
the pen For some weeks l have noticed
certain newspaper signs which fOrebOdc
an exigency that would require a public
expression from me. With last Sundays
issue of your paper that eXigency seems
to have arisen and though loath to ap
pear in the public prints. my self-respect
as well as fidelity to the trust my profes-
sional brethren have repOsed in me, de-
mands that l should resort to the pen.
Your correspondent seems to have totally
Inexperienced my attitude in the courts
towards one Mr. Biggs, whom he repre-
sents as practicing "drugless healing with
great success and increasing popularity
in this city.
Mr.. Bggs is entitled to such considera-
ton in the realm of rights as may be ac-
corded to ordinary mortals, but l, for one,
have not been made by magnetic manlpu-
lation or other process to perceive the
Justice of his claim for extraordinary and
unprecedented privileges The very gifted
gentleman who has been waited to fame
on the point of your correspondents
breezy pen. does not claim to cure by
occult arts, but by o"'pntifc method,
such method as the Legislature of this and
other States have decreed shall be sub
jected to the test of investigation as TO
whether or not the claim of competency
is genuine Such examination for special
lists however, is not to be on all branches
as is required for the regular practitioner
but only on such branch as the would DC
practitioner in his more circumscrbed
sphere proposes to exercise. 1t would
seem that no law could be more reasona-
BILE nor more needful for the public good
but this very law is the crux of Mr..
Biggs troubles. Why strive to make 2
martyr of a man who. coming from the
State of Ohio refuses to conform to a
law of good old North Carolina, enacted
for the protection of her citizens, who,
in the infrmities of disease. often des
Iperately clutch at the nearest straw and
are thus victimized by the designing?
why hoist me into unfavorable notorety,
because I happen to be the official repre-
sentative of the State Medical Organlza-
ton in this city?
| would be recreant to this trust If
should permit this fragrant violation of
one of the most important of our pro-
tective laws to pass unchallenged. l have
been content to employ no counsel in this
case, notwithstanding the defense had q
very distinguished and ingenius attorney
and witnesses are scarce. as very few men
have been inveighed into this deception.
His patients are almost exclusively of that
sex, whom the temper of Southern chival-
ry would protect from the glare of pub
licity in matters so delicate.
Permit me to say, your interesting and
= lo,,f do
cellent witness and was instrumental in
placing his hero in the tolls of the law.
For these and other reasons, l consider
that Sundays communication did me and
the organized profession of the State an
injustice, yet l hope it was unintentional
]. T. J. BATTLE.
| Greensboro N. c.