The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1904-03-21
PHYSICIANS OBJECT
To Portion oil Report Of Decem-
Der Grand Jury.

N1A NoOCAStsy duu OEuSESu pupuHn6u
In the county papers:
To the p.ess:!Scc::::: :sssss3 3 members %
Ellis County Medical Society.
Gentlemen: Your committee APP
pointed at the meeting In Waxa-
hachle on February 8, to report at
this meeting of the Society for your
consideration, reply to that part
of the report made by the honorable
grand jury at the December term of
the district court, concerning the To-
cal option law and the physicians of
Ellis county, beg leave to submit
the following:
In their report the grand jury say:
ave are very much gratified to note
the almost universal observance of
the local option law. Upon close
and careful examination we find that
it is being observed and enforced as
well as any of our criminal statutes,
and even better than some of them.
We heartily commend our citizens
for their moral support and our Off
GERS for their determined and in
creasing efforts in seeing that this
Jaw is enforced.
1--WE regret, however, to note that
a few Of our physicians are, we
think, entirely too liberal and reck-
less in writing prescriptions for in
toxicants, and respectfully suggest
to our representatives in the
Legislature that they seek to have
the law amended in reference TO this
point"
We shall have hnt little - ea~
concerning the congratulatory and
commendatory expressions in the
first part of this report, beyond say
ing that we can cheerfully and cor
daily join the honorable grand jury
in these expires siors, provided they
are a truthful representation of
facts; but to the latter part of the re-
port in which they express the opin-
ion that few of the physicians are
entirely too liberal and reckless in
writing prescriptions for intoxicants,
and suggest TO our representative
In the legislature the necessity for a
change in the law with reference to
this point, we beg TO enter very
positive protest. Coming as this
does, close on the heels of eongrat-
ulatOry and commendatoFy express
sions rendered to the public for the
almost universal Observance Of the
law, and the moral support given ii
by the people, together with the de-
termined efforts Of the officers TO
see the law enforced, would seem 30
imply that about the only violations
Of the local option law in Ellis county
were chargeable 10 IA few of her ply
sicians, and that the law must be
changed before they could be made
to obey It.
This is, In our opinion, an unjust /
aud unwarranted aspersiou on the /
medical profession OF Ellis county.
We fearlessly assert that there is no |
class Of citizens IA the county who /
.reat the laws OF the county, the To- /
,al option law and all other laws, I
with more Difference than the physi- /
'iaus. The physicians Of the coun- /
y have never sought the resp0usi-
)iltty imposed upon them By the lo-
al option law 20 make prescriptions
or whtskey iu cases of sickness
ms trust was thrust upon them by
DE law without their asking
We are constantly dealing with
diseased conditions where We must
ely solely on the statements 81 our
.atieuts, since their aches and pains
annot be appreciated by as IL any
ther way save their own state.
cannot be seen, heard,
asted, smelled or felt by as
We, As medical men, know that
be alcoholics FILA place In the Am
1ameutarjum Of the doctor, OF much
alue IN some cases. The Law rscog-
ICES this fact when 10 empowers
he doctor 70 write prescription
Or alcoholics, aud Ii goes further
he law makes the doctor the Judge
: 10 the necessity Of the alcoholic. /
We will eoucede that since we
lust form our opinion ia many /
asses that come under our care,
cry largely on the statement II the
aiient, concerning symptoms that
re- not patent 90 the special senses.
al Il IL not only possible, bgt 10 ia
'utn, very easy, At times to be mis-
a by the statement OF designing ,
eople, and thus make . prescrip-
ga for alcoholics wheu it VAS uot
saliy needed as a medicine, bat we
aail insist that such mistakes AF@
&C likely 10 0eear often With the
verage Ellis county doetor, not
outstanding the report 1T the hon
rable grand Iury to the contrary
Without any knowledge as 60 the
= tdeuee before THAI honorable body