Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-02-24

haven't anv doubt that there is some
merit in this theory. in this sect o.
healing cure or art, don't call IL
q science, they don't call it q science.
they call II an invention I should
call ii from my observation an art
and not . science. Now in brief that
is their idea as l understand it. as
have heard it discussed before the
committee Of which have the honor
to he g member
Nov II seems to ne, gentlemen, that
a good many years ago legislation was
passed here in relation to the prac-
tice OF medicine called the medical
regisJratien act, under which act
board or registration was created
which regulated the practice Of med
icine vaich under certain conditions
made it necessary for everybody prac-
t.cing medicine IN the State To pass
an examination, 10 com My with the
conditions and requirements nf the
hoard and receive a license. take
it there was only one reason which
could authorize the state through its
Legislature To 10 that, there was
only one basis upon which the Lceis-
lature could s,and and justify its ac-
5ion in Interfering with the medical
profession i'll this way. and that was
to protect and preserve the public
health. | understand, | believe, ]
think there oau be no controversy
about that proposition. Tor the inte.-
ference ny the Legislature in any o.
these matters. Now the Osteopaths
for whom ! have considerable respect
say trow And have for several years
that thew want q board of registra =
tion TO register them, and they want
hoard OF examination to examine
them and they want to be allowed
to be licensed They are unwilling
to use this board which the state
has dlready organized and provided
for They have drafted Il bill and
presented it before the Legislature
which provides Il parallel system of
examine ton. They have followed ex-
actly the present statute Of this med
ieal registration bill except that 1t
leaves out certain branches in which
thev are TO he examined ard provides
that The board shall consist entirely
OF OSteopaths and that they shall he
examined in Oste"pathy with some
other tnditions To practice oste9-
pathy. Now what are their reasons
for asking for this | have not heard
nor 90 | thirk r imagine that thcre
are but two.
AS | understand il and as it appeared
10 me at the hearing on this matter
those two reasons why they desire this
special board to register them, to license
them in their line. are, first. that they
want tho recognition. the standardization.
so to speak. and standing which the
states action In this respect would give
them. And second. they want to have
the control OF the practice Of this art SO
that they can keep out undesirable from
their point of view, persons who might
engage in il. | do not understand that
there is any other reason, real reason
why they ask this thing. Now, gentle
men, rs l look at it from my point of
view as a legislator. those reasons are
not sufficient to authorize us to act. The
only reason that we can give, the only
reasons we can give for action in this
respect, is to protect the public health.
The only reasons that they have in COM
ing 10 us, as | believe arc not To protect
the public health but to raise the stand
ard of their business and flX 1t so that
they can have sort of monopoly to keep
| out other people whom they may believe
| to he undesirable | understand there
| are eighteen Of these practitioners in th'
state so the way | look at it, from tho
point of view of 4 law-making power. the
Legislature cannot properly in the exer-
else of good legisla ton it cannot proper
" act here because il is only authorized
10 act i'll case The public health is men
aoed or for the purpose of protecting or
preserving the public health.
Now il seems 10 NE that one board oi
medical registration i'll this state is sHf-
cient. Here is one standard, reliable
board required 10 examine all persons
who desire to practice medicine. 1t seems
10 me that that board should not be du-
picated. Ii seems to me that persons
desiring t. practice this or any other
kind Of healing art and to get the benefit
Of the States recognition, so to speak. or
ny this board and then let them practice
any kind of school Or art that they
may see fit This idea of having two
registration boards, one for the regular
practitioners and one for the osteopathS,
reminds me, as | mentioned at the COM
nittee hearing, of the farmer who was
found to have two holes at the bottom
Of his barn door. one small hole and one
larger one. lie was asked what that was
for. He said the big hole was for the cat
to go through and the smaller one for
the kittens. II seems To NE that that is
a parallel to this matter. They want u