The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-31

fatal hemmorrhage or an impending con-
vulsion when she says, II can't hear
or, II can't see."
OF all men who ought to understand
chemistry the oculist is such, for some
OF the most stubborn, difficult and fatal
eye troubles are caused by constitutional
diseases such as rheumatism, syphilis,
Brights disease, pregnancy. uraemia, heart
disease, uterine troubles, pyaemia, septi-
caemia, toxaemia, putrid bronchitis, dia-
betes malaria and that specific disease,
which is so fatal to the eyes of the new
born babe, and many Others all of which
must be treated by drugs and chemicals,
and without knowledge of chemistry, the
fatal result is inevitable His other points
are as irrelevant and fallacious.
In support of his argument he quotes
from the poet, DR.. Holmes, who says,
THAT if the whole Materia Medical was
sunk in the bottom of the sea so much
the better for mankind, and so much worse
for the fishes So our Chief Justice would
have ether, chlorofcrm. and antiseptcs
taken from the surgeon without which he
is helpless, and with which thousands of
lives are saved and untold suffering is
relieved.
Things appear different according to the
standpoint from which we view them. The
Chief Justice says if the Act of 1903 had
been constitutional the corr doctor would
have been indictable. The medical profess
sion does not consider a corn disease
and would not have indicted the doctor.
But under the ruling of the Supreme
Court, as he uses a knife in removing a
corn, he is clearly indictable, and is
classed as a North Carolina Supreme
Court surgeon. The court says, ''All the
law can do is to regulate and safeguard
the use of powerful and dangerous rene
dies, like the knife and drugs
1t is now incumbent upon the Supreme
Court Bench to issue to the profession and
their drugless physicians and knifeless
surgeons, dose-book telling them in what
doses the various drugs become powerful
and dangerous, for the old grannies herb
tea, if boiled too long, becomes a dan
gerous decoction, and any drug in too
large a dose may be dangerous The pres
ent decision will bring about a conflict
between the cities and the State, as the
cities require permit for burial, in
case of death and the cause of death
must be given; the masseur isn't expected
and does not know, in some cases, the
cause of DEATH and cannot sign the certi-
ficates. The Supreme Court says emphatl-
cally they will stand by the ignorant and
incompetent, and the city must waive
their demands.
The irregular cannot be sued for mall
practice, as he does not practice; and thus
sick and afflicted people are allowed to
die for the want of proper diagnosis and
treatment, and there is no redress.
The simple fact is, the Supreme Court
has fallen into the snare 1T seems diff
cult for genius to escape; 1T trod too CONN
IDENTIFY in a realm where those familiar
with the ground must now behold 1t wan
dering as "a stranger in strange land
I notice in last Sundays issue Rev.
Graham, M. D., in his desire to be impair
tial and fair suggests the plan of having
a board for every school. Just a word
to show where it will lead to. We have
in Greensboro two men practlclng medi-
cine, one has two systems, both OF his own
invention. Where will you get the board
from to examine him. and II the board
were available it would require one Tor
each system. If he were to fail to pass
he could have another before breakfast.
Another practitioner has his own idea
about diseases and how to treat them.
Where will his board come from? And
who would compose the board for the
christian Scientist" As a matter of fact
all the regular professions desire and what
| believe the people have a right to de-
mand, is that when man or woman pro-
fesses to treat diseases that he or she
should be found capable of diagnosing, that
disease. The pilot on the smallest bark
is required to stand an examination be-
fore he is allowed to take the lives OF
the people in his hand; so should the prac-
titioner OF medicine when he assumes that
responsibility to pilot his patients through
dangerous diseases be required to know
what he is doing. 1t is nothing but right
to the profession and justice to the peo-
pie.
j. T. j. BATTLE.
Greensboro, n. c., Jan. 80, 1904.