The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-03
AIMS
Sec. Meacham Talks In
terestineIy Of Little
Known Profession.

DIR. w. Banks Meacham, of Ashe-
vile. secretary of the North Carolina
Osteopathic Association talked inter-
estingly last night on the aims ana
progress of his peculiar science which
during the past few years has had q
frequent exploitation at the hands OF
both the Legislature and the courts.
AS will be remembered the bill passed
at the last session of the General As
sembly requiring osteopaths TO under
go an examination at the hands of the
State Medical Board was declared nn-
constitutional by the Supreme Court
and the members of the profession are
now permitted TO practice within the
State without let or hindrance.
The purpose of the bill urged yes
terday by DIR. Meacham and others is,
they say, Jo establish within the
bounds OF Their own association Il
similar standard of efficiency TO that
required by physicians in the practice
of medicine The law having inter-
vened TO give them the right of practice
independently Of the medical cult.
they desire to be endowed With the
same rights of discrimination accord
cd TO the board which has tie power
OF accepting or rejecting applicants
for license TO practice medicine in the
practice of osteoDathy. The bin &C
citation. is aimed only at unworthy
parties who without experience or
practical knowledge trade upon q lit
tie known and vague term rs "osteo-
path'f in the practice of the ruercSt
quaekery.
'srhe public seem TO have q wrong
inspiration said DR.. Meacham, 'of the
purpose of our bill now before, the
Senate. From the action of u Suppos-
cd osteopath in this State the repu-
table men now located here have to
hear the stigma of being an unscrGpu-
lous. ignorant body.
"Our bill is to exclude disreputable
incompetent men. who would use the
professional titles of our body and to
guarantee to North Carolina that
whoever practices our profession shall
be honest and caDable.
The men in the State now, so far
as my knowledge goes. will average in
education and intelligence UP TO the
standards held by the medical profess
sion.
Il tcannot speak in detail of the
academic education of the other men
of our society, but | do know as sec
rotary that eacn one has diploma
from an osteopathic college recognK-
ed by the American -Osteopathic AS
ISOLATION.
81 am member Of the committee
or Education and am therefore in a
position to speak with authority OF
that point. Yes, personally, i believe
I can show thorough training in acad-
emic and professional lines. | got an
a. b. from Mississippi College in 1885;
an A. b. from Harvard in 1898; and
d. O. from the Massachusetts, College
of Osteopathy in 1900. My studies in
psychology under Prof. VIM. James
and the special attention | gave to
mental diseases in my osteopath1c
course prompted my osteopathic alma
mater in psychology and phychiatry,
which position / held until | returned
South.
Certainly there are specialists in
our profession. A Doctor Borry, OF
Buffalo, n. Y, now treats ear diseases
almost exclusively. AT present my
work is more or less general. The
majority of my work is on nervous
wrecks, and / hope in q year or two
to do an exclusive practice in mental
and nervous diseases. More than one
ID. O. today makes diseases of woman
a speciality"