The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-10
LAWS NEEDED TO PROTECT VIC
TINS OF QUACKS.

Nobody ought to be permitted to treat
people for any ailments for pay in North
Carolina unless they have demonstrated
their knowledge of anatomy and medicine
by passing the examination required by
law before the State Medical Board. The
last Legislature took an important step,
but did not go far enough
toward protecting the public against
quacks and others who charge for treat
ing the sick but know nothing of medi-
cine. 1t is to be regretted that the Su-
preme Court could not see its way clear to
uphold this law, though it should be said
that the provision in the law allowing
Christian Scientists to practice without
examination, and forbidding osteopaths
ard others in a like class, was contrary to
the principle of equality before the law.
The Legislature will have to try again
DR.. Richard H. Lewis, Secretary
of the State Board of Health, correctly
states the true theory of medi-
cine and the need OF protecting the public
from incompetent men, whether calling
themselves doctors or not, in the follow
ing:
Gas we understand the science and art
of medicine and surgery the most essen
tial part of it IS the ability to diagnose
the disease BY a thorough knowledge Of
the history and symptoms of disease and
of the most approved methods of getting
at the Symptoms-to tell what the disease
is-and then to decide in accordance with
the experience of those best fitted to know
whether to use drugs, the knife, massage,
electricity, suggestion, diet, fresh air and
sunshine, change of scene, etc.-or moth
ing-all used by the regular physician or
omitted, as he thinks best. If the object
of the law is to safeguard the lives and
health of the people, it is certainly very
Ineffective as construed b. our Court,
when it permits any person whatsoever,
be he ever so ignorant or unprincipled,
to assume the care and responsibility of
a case of disease, no matter how danger
Gus or contagious. 1t wouldn't make
much difference to the patient and his
friends, We presume. whether he was
killed by powerful drug or a misused
knife or by the failure to use at the crit
ical time sure remedy familiar to the
well-informed physician.
But it is in the contagious and infec-
tious diseases that the inability to make
the diagnosis would be most disastrous,
not only to the patient himself, as e. e.,
In diptheria, but to whole communities, by
failure to take the proper sanitary pre-
cautions
If doctor wishes to employ the ad-
juncts of massage, electricity, suggestion,
faith in the treatment of the sick, nobody
objects There is often much more eff
oacy in some cases in these things than
ought to be permitted to employ any
remedy for pay until satisfactory evidence
is given of the ability to diagnose diseases.
The State has prescribed an examination
to test the knowledge of the human body
and how to heal. All who charge for
treatment should be required to pass that
examination before being permitted to give
medicine or any other treatment or heal
ing that is intended to cure. There is no
other way to protect the public from such
quacks as the one in Greensboro who re-
Gently issued on red card board the fol-
lowing advertisement:
READS YOUR PAST, PRESENT AND
FUTURE.
"Can be consulted on all the affairs of
life. Unites the separated being. The
seventh son of a seventh son, and endow-
ed with a supreme gift from God alone
If sick I will cure you without medicine
or with my herb tonic. If you are I'M
lucky in business affairs l can make you
lucky with one of my lucky charms. If
you have loved ones away and want them
back, through my absent treatment they
will come, if 5000 miles away. Don't de-
lay, and think it is impossible for any
man on earth to do as you read on this
card, but give me a trial while 1 am in
your city. All my work has proven to
be good