Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-11

for registration? They will simply
amount to nothing. The bill provides
for one oculist, and one physician, with
three optometrists. What does that
amount 10: That is three against two.
They can register whoever they have
| a mind to: ard I tell you, gentlemen.
| that the class of optometrists that will
| register know nothing about the eye
whatever. They have not studied anat- a
| omy. They do rot know physiology.
| They cannot test the eye as it should
| be tested. 1t should be done by men
who know anatomy, who know phys
! ioloey and who know how to test the
eye properly.
Now in that one matter the bill says:
TEST the eye without the use of med
icrne." Every oculist in the State of
| Maine knows that it is absolutely ne
cessary. in order to fit glasses to GER
tain people. to use atropinc. or some
derivative. to paralyze the muscles of
accommodation, SO as to adjust the
glasses. These men say-"Without
medicine at all" What would they
know about that?
Now the measure is aimed-.le
friends say-to exclude q large set of
fakirs that go about the State selling
glasses. 1t looks to me ultimately as
though it would put a large class of
fakirs under the guise of protection
of registration and it looks to me as
though these men would enter into di-
rect competition with men who are
thoroughly qualified TO test the eye in
all its various forms of diseases
1t is well known to physicians that
many of the worst forms of diseases
Bright's disease, for instances de-
acknowledgement by the eye What
would these men do? They would SIM
ply fit glasses. and try another set and
try another set and SO let il go IN;
and the patient would be kept in ig-
norance as to his exact condition, or
trouble.
l do not think we need anything Of
this kind in the State of Maine. | do
not think it will have a tendency to
cut out this -so-caled class of fakirs,
but rather that it will draw in large
class and it will draw in other large
classes of men. A man can put in his
store one of these men that is register
ed; and he can go on and do a large
business in fitting glasses under the
guise of being Il competent man to do
that kind of work l do not believe
that the people of Maine want any
such thing. do not think it is fair to
the medical profession. | do not think
1T is fair to the public: because l have
read this bill through and through and
| cannot find any qualification that a
man would have to have in order to
become registered as registered op-
tometrist.' There is nothing stated
whatever and we know that it must be,
necessarily, a superficial examination
that is made; and /, as physician,
know the meaning of this word "op-
tometry," that is, the testing of the
eye, and know what it means to people
who wish to go on the right 1.-The and
to have the proper thing done for the
eye to have it-testcd as it should ne,
and not by class of men who simply
know the difference between a con-
cave and a convex Observation-Disclosures
ness and nearsightedness. and so forth:
but those men do not know any varia-
tions in the sight, in the lens, such
as astigmatism-they would be at sea
in regard to fitting in Such cases
glasses.
I say. gentlemen, that if we want
the right thing that the proper thing
is to keep this in the hands of COM
petent oculists, and keep this whole
class of fakirs and class them together,
let them fit glasses, if the public wants
them to--let the public go and employ
them. but do not put them under
board of registration and make people
think that they are competent to do
the right. proper and square thing, for
they are not.
Mr. STAPLES of Knox: Mr. Presi-
dent, | was not aware that | was stir
ring up any discussion when took this
matter up. l do not propose to discuss
the bill; but | rose to make that mo-
ton because two eminent men in this
State, DR.. Hill of Waterville. and DIR.
Little of Portland. came to me yester-
day afternoon, and wanted this mat
ter to lie upon the table. They did not
give me their reasons. / went to SEN
ator Hamilton who had it upon the
table at that time; and I asked him if
he would allow it to remain upon the
table until the first of the week: and
/ think he told me he would. There
fore. / paid no attention tos it, but
went home. Now l have asked that
it be put upon the table for the rca-
son that | made that agreement with
the Chairman of the legal affa irs con-
mittee, that it should remain upon the
table until next Tuesday; and l rose
only to put myself right with them. 1
do not propose to discuss the matter.
! only ask it as a favor to the chair
man of the committee. | have. no in
terest whatever myself, but do it rs
a matter of courtesy to those friends.
l do not rise in opposition to the bill.
| make no opposition.
Mr. HAMILTON of York: Mr.. Presf-
dent: In explanation I wish to state
what | did say to the senator from
Knox-that l would let it remain until
Tuesday. This morning the senator
from Androscoggin told me that l was
not treating him right; and you know
| always like to accommodate anyone
and especially the senator from Andro-
scoggin. because he is one of the most
agreeable senators we have here; and
/ could not resist his request. l took
it up and examined the bill closely and
laid it upon the table and have look
ed at it this morning and talked with
him and do not see any objections TO