Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-07-09
OSTEOPATHS TRY
TO AMEND RULES
Want Right to Treat Patients at
the Los Angeles County
Hospital
CLAIM DISCRIMINATION MADE
Dr.. Whitman Says 1t Is Up to the
Board of Supervisors to
Change Regulations
CLAIM DISCRIMINATION MADE

Osteopaths of Los Angeles are to
fight for recognition at the county hos
pital, the doors of which are closed TO
them under the rules now in effect
An issue is being forced by the case
of Mrs. Evans, who is a patient in
the hospital. She wants an osteopath
to attend her. The request has been
refused by the hospital authorities.
DR. C. II. Whitman, superintendent
of the county hospital, says that If
the rules are changed he will have no
objection to osteopaths attending pa
tients in the hospital; that with him it
is merely a matter of enforcing the
rules.
DR.. C. A. Whiting, head of the fac
ulty of the Pacific College of Osteo-
pathy, believes unwarranted discrimin-
alton is being practiced AS virtual
president of the college where many
osteopathic students are graduated
yearly, he has taken up the fight for
recognition.
ASK TO AMEND
The supervisors will be asked to
amend their rules so that osteopaths
may be admitted. The rule which has
been cited as a barrier to the admit
tance of osteopaths is as follows:
Rule 1. No physician or surgeon
will be permitted to render any pro-
fessional service in the hospital I'M
til he has been regularly appointed
by the dean of the medical depart
ment of the University of Califor-
MIA, or the dean of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Los
Angeles, and such appointment
approved by the hospital committee
of the board of supervisors and by
the superintendent of the hospital
Commenting on the case which has
.fe-t.. to tn
Whiting says:
WHAT WHITING SAYS
"a condition of more than ordinary
interest relating to the county hospital
has recently been brought to my notice.
As the county hospital is an institution
supported by public taxation Cor the
benefit of the INDECENT sick, 1t seems
proper that the public be fully IN
formed in regard to it's internal man.
agement.
1.-THE special case to which l refer is
a patient by the name Of Mrs. Evans,
who was admitted to the hospital more
than six months ago Soon after her
admission to the hospital she was eX-
amined by some of the physicians COM
prising the hospital staff, and her case
was pronounced a hopeless one. 1t be-
ing decided that nothing could be done
to assist her, she was put on what Is
calleu a DdllldllNG treatment "lliNh
means that drugs would be admins
tered to reduce her suffering while she
lives.
Mrs Evans states most positively
that no serious attempt was made to
treat her with a view of effecting her
recovery. Morphine is constantly adj
ministered with view to reducing her
suffering. 1t is needless to say that
every dose of this drug necessarily dl-
minishes her chances for ultimate re-
coVery.
owing to some previous experience
which Mrs Evans had, she has been
extremely anxious to have osteopathic
treatment. This she can have, free of
all cost, either to herself or to the
county, but osteopathic physicians are
positively refused admission to the
county hospital, and the only ply
sicians admitted are those who belong
to the faculties of the two allopathtc
colleges in the city. In other words,
these. colleges make the county hos
pital an adjunct to their teaching IA
cilities and all other practitioners are
rigidly excluded
WHITMAN's STATEMENT
In regard to DR.. Writings charges
DR.. Whitman said:
"This is matter that is Soely up
to the board of supervisors. If the
supervisors adopt an additional rule
granting this permission, certainly
there will be no objection on my part
to admitting the osteopaths to prac'
tice in the hospital
However, in my opinion, if rule
granting such liberty to them is made
much confusion will result, as the hos
pital already is we'll supplied with
physicians. There are now thirteen in
ternes. If this class of practitioners
is admitted when called upon by pa
tents, eventually they undoubtedly
will desire also to hold clinics"