The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1912-02-17
4 FEDERAL HEALTH BOARD

II IS gratifying Ia note ;h,si the Mn
| for he creation ui q )ed,.rfi hnnlih
boarG will moi be allowed to pass with
out protes; Reports ot ure.utzrt
assistance come from all parta OF In.
country, and 4 may be tina. she oppo
sltion VIII soon he sufficiently solid,
Ned 70 defea. q project that promises
infinite mischief FOR the community
and suffering and injustice for the In
dividual.
The proposal is based upon thpse
specious claims that are noioriouslv
! hard to con;r"rert II a federal health
board Were Ia cunfne It's activities 10
the PRONUNCIATION o! salutary advice
| upon hysiehic ms;ters. TO The abate
ment OF quackery, and to the purity Of
drugs. It mign: he possible TO say
much III Its favor, although 1t wpu,d
| sull he djfiicu1t 60 say that s~eh nm
organization is needed. Bat we know
that it VIII a,temp: 20 ;ip far more
than this. seeing that its adherepts
! have loudly proclaimed their iptep-
lions. Indeed, there is no secrecy
about them. II is confidently esDecteo
that the board will consist OF ady,,
Gates Of one school of medicine only
and that the methods Of that school
Will be not only recommended but
enforced upon the nation Indeed q
board that was in any way Representa-
tive OF the medical profession ar \
t,A 60, > IA
olsaereeMeHss. Outside the domain
or simple hygiene. for which we need
no federal board a, all, there liz Nc
single point OF medical practice upon
which allOpatbs. boneupaths, eclectic.
and Osteopaths could be in unison
Any board tina, could be devised BY
the Wit Of man must he composed of
Representatives of one school only.
and this means that al! other schools
are branded as of HI inferior caste
even though nothing worse happened
to them. And something worse would
happen to them. II We are 10 establish
school OF medicine. II We are to as-
sert that the government of the Unit
ed States farors one variety of prac-
tice more than others. why not estab-
lIsh also a sect OF religion and be-
stow special authorities upon Bap
lists. Methodists and EpiscOpalians1
An established school OF religious
conjecture seems somewhat less OBJ
JectiOnable than an established sect
OF pseudo-scientific conjecture.
Those who suppose that a federal
board Of health would have no concern
with individual rights are likely to
find themselves undeceived It is for
the purpose OF interfering with .Mds-
vidual rights that the proposal has
been made. We need sDo special
that what may be called unOrthOdOx
methods Of healing have made sad In.
roads into the orthodox. Homeopathy
claims vast number of adherents
VINO are just as well educated and just
as intelligent as those who adhere to
cism. and half dozen: other methods
Of practice are certainly not losing
ground. Beyond them Is the vast and
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
need have no doubt az
70 the purposes of the federal health
board. Those purposes are TO make
t difficult for them to follow their
particular fads and fancies. to lead
hem, and IL necessary to drive them,
rom medical mort hodoXy To medical
Now the Ar2onaut holds no brief
or any of the excuses and the super
'titions connected with the care OF the
,ody In which this age is SO rife Bot
t does feel concerned for the preser
alton of human liberty and for the
lights OF the individual 10 doctor him
elf in any way be pleases so long as
le does not individually threaten the
lealth OF the community. He may
axe large doses or small ones, or no
loses at all; he may be massaged,
.nointed with oil. or prayed over, just
8 the whim Of the moment may die
ate, and probably it makes no par
icle of difference which he does, But
e has the right to choose, just as he
hooses the color of his necktie Or the
haracter of his underclothing. II Is
ot matter in which any wise gov
rnment will seek to interfere. This
3 precisely the liberty that The health
oard intends to take from him
orthodox medicine, conscious Of W
osses. is trying to buttress Itself BY
ederal statute. to exalt allOpsthy to
be status OF a privileged caste and
D create an established school OF