Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-22
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
CONTINUED from Page Five.)

mittee. A minority report which says
that the bill ought not to pass. and q
majority report which recommends the
massage Of the bill in u new draft. Now
at this stage of the discussion, gentle
men, only one question confronts us
and that question is. shall this Legis-
lature adopt some bill. pass some Act
to regulate the practice of Osteopathy
in this State? ] want to say that fof
myself have reasoned the matter out
in this way. That up to. now we have
only to decide that question. II the mi
nority report is. accepted here we have
said in effect that no system of reg
ulating Osteopathy ought to be adopt
ed in this State. If the majority re-
port is accepted the bill is then before
the Senate in afnendablc form. and |
have no doubt that some amendments
ought to be made. amendments that
have been suggested or occurred ~
those interested in the bill since 1t was
presented TO the committee. / nave
thought of some myself that ought to
be MADE. But for the present say
that this question is simply whether
this state ought to provide some
means of regulating the practice OF
Osteopathy. That IS all the question
there is before US now. Upon that
Question I have no concern with the
details of the practice OF Osteopathy.
viii the comparative methods of any
schools of medicine. My concern is,
and the concern Of everyone Of US
should be, as representing the State Of
-. -, ly,,n yk1 not there
are in fact people in this State who de-
sire to buy the treatment known as
Osteopathic treatment. If there ar"
such people in this State. regardless
of our opinion as to the value OF the
treatment. who desire to buy TINS
treatment, the further question is
whether 1t is advisable to regulate III
some way the practice of Osteopathy
SO that those people may pay their
money and get what they buy.
We have taken the position in this
State, in many respects, that 1t is the
roper function OF the State govern
Inent to safe guard the purchaser OF
any commodity. We have taken an
advanced position in the last few years
in the 50 called Pure Food Law and
have introduced laws Of the State to
Safeguard the purchaser of any food,
and to provide. If man buys Maine
sweet corn, for INSTANCE, that the con-
tents of the can shall be Maine sweet
corn and nothing else.
We have gone further in respect to
the regulation of the practice of medi-
cine, or professions of that nature, be-
cause in that particular there is not
only the element of protecting the
purchaser and assuring him of getting
the goods be wishes to buy, but there
is an element of danger to life and
health in the practice of medicine by
those not qualified to practice it. |
say now that I believe there are peo-
pie In this State who want to buy the
Usteopathic treatment. and for that
reason, just as we would safeguard
the purchaser of any commodity. it is
proper for the State to adopt some
regulation SO that those people may
get what they intend TO buy: that
they may know when they call in an
Osteopathic physician that they are
getting Osteopathic treatment.
s.f4say further that. the same reason
for regulating medical practice applies
In this case. namely. to some extent
at least, the danger to the public on
account of the practice of Osteopathy
By those not qualified to practice 1t, |
and for these reasons ] am in favor of
some regulation in this State for the |
practice of Osteopathy. If the ma
jority report is adopted the bill will |
be then be in amendable form and |
some amendment should be offered to |
make the purposes of the bill more |
definite and remove any possible con-
fiict between the practice of Osteo-
pathy and the practice of medicine.
=. Mr.. MoULTON. of Cumberland: Mr. |
President:
The question now before the Senate
is one of the most important that will |
be. presented at this session of the |
because it deals with the
lives and health of all citizens.
The practice of medicine and sur
gerry has come down from early ages.
Great advances have been made in its
theory and practice. Everything that
the ingenuity and research of man can
discover for the relief of pain, the cure
of disease. and the promoting of the
Health of mankind. Is adopted by the
medical profession, after careful ex-
animation and trial have proved its
worth.
The medical practitioners do not
hastily adopt new methods. They are
not carried away nor captivated by
new fads; nor by the claims of some
new sect that old and longtried and
we'll proven methods are of no benefit
and should be discarded. They are
qnlck to recognize, recommend and
adopt newly discovered. methods, when
their value and worth have been shown
by good results.
3 The medical profession is an honor
ed and an honorable one. and includes
among it's members, past and present,
men, scientists who have done as much
for the benefit of mankind as ans other
class of men. It's efforts have always
been directed to prevent disease,
alleviate the sufferings Of humanity
and prolong and save the life of man
kind, not to destroy it. To accom-
plisr those results members of the
profession have made the greatest
sacrifices, even of their own lives, in
their efforts to discover the causes Of
disease and to demonstrate the abso-
lutely true method of prevention.
\.