The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-12-21
FEDERAL nENM OoAao

4 FEDERAL nENH OoARa
4 b gssttfyiAg . nets thaf ths ~
~ - ersatisa q Q fsAsral haA)tA
ba1s6 vil not - allowed 70 paas v1fh-
- . Dsotsst RoDsets a organised
sasastnnce cone fFoo all Parts a tAs
esootFy. asA II nay - that The oppe-
sedsa vfll 5000 - suAeasatly solid
- = ds6sat . Dsojsct that prooisss
ho1ito mischief fer tho co0nunity,
~ sa9ssiag asA injustice for the il
lividuL.
The Droposal 70 bassA upon thoss
eoectous claims that are n0tOFiously
hard 70 coatfovsrt II . federal health
eoaFd we're to ooaAns its activities to
u Deo0ulgatioa Of salutaSy advice
upoa hygisaic matters. to the abats-
neat Of quaeksry. and to tAs purity ol
Sruss. 1t night - possible to say
much 10 its favor. although 1t would
sdn b di0cvlt 70 say that such a
srganisatioa u needed. But vs know
that II will attempt 10 do far moro
tAaa this. ssslnS that its aAherents
Aavs loudly proclaimed their intea.
tons Indeed. there 10 NO secrecy
about then. II = coaAdsntly expected
that the board will consist OF advo-
eetss OF onD school Of medicine oaly
ed that the methods Of that school
viii b not only recommended, but
eoforced upon the natioa. Indeed Q
board that was In any way rspresents-
dvs Of the medical profession - q
whole would b. stultiAsd BY its ovn
1isaSreements. Outside The domain
of simple hygiene. for which vs nesd
no federal board At all. there 10 NO
single point Of medical practice upon
which allopaths. homeopaths, eclectics
and osteOpaths could be in unison.
Any board that could BE- devised by
the wit Of man must be composed Of
representatives Of one school only,
and this means that all other schools
are branded ~ Of IN inferior caste,
svsn though nothing worse happened
to them. And something worse would
happen to them. II We are to establish
school Of medicine. II We are to A.
esrt that the government OF the Unit
ID States favors one variety Of prac-
dee moro than others, why not estah-
hsh also sect OF religion and ~
stow special authorities upon Bap-
lists. Msthodists and Episcopaliansi
An established school of religious
conjecture seems somewhat less OBJ
5scdonable than an established sect
Of pseudo-scientifc conjecture.
Those who suppose that . federal
board Of health would have no concern
with individual rights are likely to
ind themselves undeceived. 1t 10 for
the purpose Of interfering with indi-
vidual rights that the proposal has
been made. We need no special
knowledge Of conditions to be aware
that what may be called unorthodox
methods OF healing have made sad in
roads into the orthodox. Homeopathy
claims a vast number of adherents
who are Just as we'll educated and Just
% intelligent As those who adhere to
the older school. Osteopathy, eclecti-
cism, and half . dozen other methods
Of practice are certainly not losing
ground. Beyond them is the vast and
increasing army Of those who may be
classed under the general and vague
name Of mental healers. Those who
are addicted to any Of these forms Of
unorthodoxy need have no doubt a.
to the purposes of the federal health
board. Those purposes are to make
1t dimcult for them to follow their
particular fads and fancies, to lead
them, and II necessary to drive them.
from medical unorthodoxy to medical
orthodoxy.
Now the Argonaut holds NO brief
for any Of the excesses and the super
stitions connected with the care of the
body in which this age is SO rife But
It does feel concerned for the preser-
vation Of human liberty and for the
rights of the individual to doctor him
self in any way he pleases SO long a.
he does not indubitably threaten the
health of the community. He may
take large doses or small ones, or NO
doses at all: he may be massaged,
anointed with oil, or prayed over, Just
as the whim of the moment may die.
tate, and probably 1t makes no par
ticle Of difference which he does But
he has the right to choose. Just az he
chooses the color of his necktie or the
character Of his undsrclothins. 1t 10
not a matter in which any wise gov
eminent will seek to interfere. This
is precisely the liberty that the health
board intends to take from him:
Orthodox medicine. conscious Of its
losses, is trying to buttress itself BY
federal statute. to exalt allopathy to
the status of privileged caste, and
to create an established school Of
medicine just as some other countries
have allowed themselves to create In
established school of religion. II 10
for the common sense Of the commu-
nifty to rebuke that effort and to re-
pei an unwarranted invasion upon ele-
mentary human rights.-San Fraa.
cisco Ar0onaIf