The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-10

with increased powers. met with much
popular disfavor and aroused q storm
Of protest over the entire state, from
all classes of voters. A few days ago
another medical bill met defeat in this
House. This measure proposed to
amend Sections of the Medical Practice
Act, so as to do away with the i'm
prisonnient clause. THE opposition ir
the House brought out the fact that
this would deprive defendants prose-
cuted under this act, of the right OF
terial by jury and the House very prop
erly registered its disapproval by an
almost unanimous vote.
Those who are in touch with affairs
at Columbus are aware of another
medical bill, introduced in the House,
under the title of House Bill 4S This
measure requires every child in the
public schools of Ohio to submit to q
physical examination without regard
to the ability of parents to provide
proper safeguards, and without re
gard to the wishes of either parents
or children. 1t provides also for the
compulsory education OF school chill
dren In the prevention of tuberculo-
sis, and in hygiene. and sanitation.
Bills somewhat similar to this pro-
posed measure, have been defeated in
the last two years, partly on the
ground that the drilling of young chill
dren in the study of diseases was not
conducive to health ana should be no
part of n school curriculum Many
of the foremost educators of the coun
try are opposed to the training OF
young minds to the contemplation of
disease, holding that such studies are
fit only for adults and that the fear
of disease endangered In youthful and
sensitive minds may have a decided
ly negative and highly undesirable
effect.
Inquiry in various parts of the
state shows that the opposition ia
House Bill 4OS Is widespread and gen
eral. The family physician has dis
covered that the bill would throw n
large volume of business and fees into
the hands of the school physician
which would otherwise go I'm the ora
mary course of events into the hands
of the family physician.
Parents have discovered that II
their children are absent from school
without a certificate from the Board
of Health, or without being referred
to the school physician, who may
make a public examination of their
children and incidently disclose to
tine public scrutiny possible ailments
or defects which the parents have
very properly endeavored to keep from
the public gaze. Parents will no doubt
ask themselves what has happened,
that the right of caring for thel!'
children shall be transferred from
them to an alien physician who knows
nothing of the child's history or en-
vironment and who Is not, on that
account, as competent to diagnose and
treat their ailments as is the family
physician.
Taxpayers have discovered that
House Bill 40S requires the Boards
of Education of seventy Ohio cities 10
employ school physicians, and TO
pay them their salaries without de
gard to the expense. This bill would
compel the people of Ohio to pay
hundreds of thousands of dollars an
nually in taxes for medical examina
tions of hundreds of thousands OF
children who are In perfect health.
1t Is beginning to be seen that there
is an absolute absence of any demand
for such Legislation except as that de-
mand may have been created by a
certain set of medical men. All ply
sicians not fortunate enough to ba
members of the Board of Health or
School Physicians under this bin
would be deprived of their right to
examine the children of their own
patients and for that reason this bin
creates something of n Physicians
Trust, which should be Objectionable
to Physicians as well as the publ
generally
A reference to Section 1892 OF the
General Code which Is amended by
the present House Rill discloses the
fact that the law as it now stands
recognizes the right of the parent
to select the physician to examine i;s
won child.
1t would be interesting to man.
parents to know what good grounds
exist for depriving them of this right