New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-17
PUBLIC HEALTH
The Movement for a National Depart
ment and It's Opponents.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: AS president of the Committee OF
One Hundred on National Health, | wish
to emphasize the following facts:
F'irst-As the Enclosed bulletin of the
Committee of One Hundred indicates the
real strength of the opposition Ito ma
tfonal department of health1 evidently
comes from commercial interests. such as
the quack medicine interests and others
who have reason to fear the pure food ana
drugs act While Christian Scientists ana
other "drugless' cults are denouncing drug
doctors and denouncing medical trust
which does not exist these cults are them
selves playing into the hands OF drug
trust which does exist.
Second-Under our Constitution the fed
eraI government could not. If 1t WOULD
regulate the practice of medicine
Third-The Owen bill contains no pro-
vision aiming to regulate the practice Of
medicine.
Fourth-section in the owen bill, the
section authorizing the establishment of
chemical, biological and other standards,
has been eliminated entirely from the bill,
although only a heated imagination couid
have construed this section as attempting
to regulate the practice of medicine.
Fifth-Senator Owen did not prepare MS
bill at the instance either of the American
Medical Association of the Committee
of One Hundred on National Health. 1t Is
true however that the American Medlcal
Association and the Committee of one
Hundred heartily indorse the bill in pref
erence to any of the other numerous healtn
bills now before Congress.
Sixth-The Committee of One Hundred
on National Health is not med1cai or
ganization. 1t did not originate with the
American Medical Association, put Win
the American Association for the Advance
ment of Science. 1t is allied with the
American Medical Association only IN the
same sense that it is allied with LABOR
organizations farmer organizations, lie
insurance companies and various other
agencies which are working to improve
public health.
Seventh-While opposed to fraudulent
quackery, which is always imposing rake
medicines and. cure-alls on the public, the
Committee of One Hundred on National
Health is not devoted to any particular
school of medicine to the exclusion or
others. Curiously enough, it was Chrls-
tan Scientist who moved the appointment
Of the Committee of One Hundred. L may
add that in my report on National Vital
TO Ir6SlQSnI tNOoScNSiI put my &C.,
on record as favoring medical freedom"
L can indorse almost all OF the position on
that subject taken by Mr.. Flower.
Eighth-A department of health in Amer
lea. like the Department of Health in Ger
many or anywhere else, will have better
things to do than regulate the practice of
medicine 1t will regulate the misbranding
of foods and drugs there's the rubD. the
pollution of streams. the inspection OF
meats and quarantine and will obtain and
distribute information in regard to health
of human beings, just as the Department
of Agriculture does in regard TO the health
of hogs and cattle.
When the League for Medical Freedom
suddenly appeared on the horizon our
movement had encountered substantially
no opposition except among quacks ana
quack medicine proprietors- On the other
hand our movement has the support or
the President. of both political parties, as
expressed in their platforms; of scientific
phiIanthrOpic. medical and labor organiza-
tions and the oranges, as well as of the
life insurance companies; of DR. H. w
Wiley of the Bureau of Chemistry, and of
General Walter Wyman, Of the Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service. The
general public will find it hard to believe
that these Endorsements. especially the
hearty Endorsement of the life insurance
companies, can be in the interest of
medical trust
For further information 1 would refer
the reader 10 Bulletin Al of the Committee
of One Hundred, about to be issued (ad-
dress Drawer %, New Haven. to the SEN
ate reports CNos. l and p on hearings on
S 6Oi9 address Senate document ROOM, to
House reports of hearings on health bills
June TO 8 address document room,
House of Representatives., to Senator
Owens speeches address Senator Owen
and to my report on National Vitality
Senate document 49.
IRVING FISHER.
President Committee of One Hundred on
National Health.