The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-06

by competent practitioners, but all per- sons engaged in the business of curing other people should be required to stand the same examination and come up to the same standard. The examination should not be divided Let a person pass the regular examination showing him competent to deal with the health and lives of the people, and then if he pre- ferred to cure by this method let him do so.
 He illustrated his point by saying if he desired to practice only the criminal law , eschewing the civil practice, he would not be admitted to the bar on an exam nation in criminal law alone He would be required to stand the regular exami- nation on the whole subject of the law, and then if he chose to select only one branch of the business he could do so. We might as well pass bill to allow MT. Dowie and his distinguished follow CT, MT. Gay of Montgomery, to practice their peculiar method of cure. Once break down the standard and there is no end to the demands of quaclks for special exemption The speech was a strong plea for standing by the high standard of learning and information required of all medical practitioners in Alabama
 Benners Defends Bill.
 MT. Benners followed with a defense of the bill or rather the substitute which he said met every reasonable objection and requirement. of the situation He went over and explained the provisions of the bill showing the amount of prep aration and proficiency required of the practitioners of osteopathy, and said it was enough to secure the people against ignorance. The examination includes all but three subjects on which regular prac- titioners are examined, and these three are not used by the osteopathists. There are about ten practitioners in the state at this time and they are outside the law. The effect of the bill would be to legalize what they are doing anyhow, and he doubted if under the qualified exam nation provided in the bill the state med ical board would ever allow any more to pass He read letters from Mir. Rit- tenhouse Moore, MT. Erwin Craighead and MT. Harry Pillans of Mobile en- dorsing the bill and said he had some twenty more on his desk from men as prominent. He said osteopathy was only scientific massage, and the doctors all admit that massage is good thing. MT. Benners concluded by reading from the Bible the passage where Asa was dis eased in his feet and trusted to the phy- sician and was gathered to his fath- CTS" This provoked great laughter.
 Bankhead Makes Strong Speech.
 MT. Bankhead of Walker opposed the bill in one of the strongest speeches ever made on the floor of the house. It was clear concise and positive, and did him infinite credit. His speech was more par ticularly addressed to the point of up holding the high standard of the medical profession in this state, and to the ad- vantage of learning. It is no hardship on any one to be required to come up to a high standard of learning in ahy profes- sion We have had many schools and will have others, but whatever their name. they should all be on the same high plane of efficiency in starting out on their career. Like others he had been charmed with Mrs. Ligon, the lady who came from Mobile to champion the bill. He was not insensible to female charm, but that was not the basis on which such a question as this should be decided Un- der this bill the osteopathist is prevented from giving any medicine, however great the urgency may be of any patient to whom he may be called.
 A Humorous Speech.
 Mir. Simpson of Lauderdale followed for the substitute, in which he could see no harm to any one and no interference with the medical profession. He did not know what osteopathy was, but he understood it is a system of rubbing the body. AS the law Is now any man can get an- other to rub him and there Is now way to prevent it. He can now get ignorant rubbing, and it seemed to him that the bill secured for the people supply of capable and skilled practitioners in the rubbing business. The speech was lit- tie humorous along that line and seemed tt.- sIx- @f tl.. IT, truth. the supporters of the bill rather belittled the serious phase put on the subject by the opponents of the measure, and MT. Simpsons speech was very efrec- tive. indicating that it was of no great consequence anyway. If these people want to be examined before being allow ed to rub other people. why that is all in the Fbill. It was not letting loose a horde of ignorance, but requiring skill to take