White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-23
SIGNIFICANCE Of
MEDICAL LAWS
Is FEAR OF DISEASE USED AS
MEANS TO PROCURE SPECIAL
LEGISLATION FAVORABLE TO
PHYSICIANS?

49, RfN1 haot 1hC PaOAit . 0ibhCA III
capable or not to be trusted in its
judgment of what is best for its own
interests, the medical societies of the
different states are becoming more
aggressive and more persistent than
ever before in their efforts to secure
the enactment of legislation for the
purpose of preventing the practice of
any system of healing disease which
is no within their scope and control.
One of the methods by which this
kind of Legislation is expected to be
secured is set forth with engaging
frankness in an article in the Journal
of the American Medical association
of Feb. Is, 1913, from which we take
the following excerpt:
AT the spring meeting of the
medical society of a certain county in
southwest Kansas, suggestion was
made that one of the members of the
society should be a candidate for the
Legislature, in order that the interests
of physicians might be ~safeguarded
by representatives from among the
profession. This was determined be-
cause the interests of physicians were
menaced by the last legislature and
were also seriously threatened
through the activities of the chiro-
practors and the League for Medical
Freedom in the Legislature which was
to be chosen and is now in session.
. Notwithstanding that the
physician-candidate was a Democrat,
while most of the members of the
society were Republicans Seward
county is strongly Republican, they
stood together as one man. and sue
ceeded in electing him. But the
story does not end here. The doctors
agreed not only hat they would work
for his election, which they did most
heartily. but also that they would
turn back all his patients on his re-
turn from the Legislature and pay
him a per diem bonus, as well while
he was in attendance at the capital.
Is it not about time that
the physicians of the country should
emulate the example set by the Sew
ard county Medical Society and get
together"
That is an Interior purpose in the
legislation which these societies are
trying to secure, and that it is not
demanded by the public is becoming
more and more apparent at every
Legislative hearing in the various and
sundry bills introduced by or for the
physicians at each session of the state
lawmaking bodies, but il may not be
generally known that many of the ed
~torials apparently advocating such
legislation. as they appear in news
papers throughout the United States,
are sent out in bulletin form from
the headquarters of the American
Medical association. One of these
bulletins is before us at this writing,
and later on w shall DOUBTLESS see
editorials embodying this text. under
the eye-catching captions of school
Diseases" THE Stomach in Hunger"
Applied Ideals" Athletics and
Health" 1.-The Specialist" alleged
Discovery of a Cancer GERM etc,
appearing in some of the smaller
newspapers of the country. The OBJ
ject in thus bro~adcasting these edi-
~itorials apparently advocating such
of public sentiment through the fear
of disease which they are more than
likely to engender. but the institu-
tors of this sort of propaganda should
not count too much on the general
impressionability of the people.
That, however. an effort is being
made to keep the public in ignorance
of the real situation, and the fallaci-
business of the arguments used to per-
petuate this ignorance, is we'll illus
trated in the o%ft-quoted statement
that the United States government is
spending millions of dollars for the
preservation of hog life and nothing
for the preservation of human life.
This statement is more brilliant. than
true, as the facts are that a report
called for by the United States senate
and just submitted by the secretary
of the treasury shows chat the expen-
ditures of the government in its vari-
Gus activities intended to conserve
the public health have amounted to
$19,S00, 026.23 in the fiscal year just
closed in these activities. Here are
facts and figures that speak for them
selves, and If it Is also true, as we
are informed. that every one of the
physicians employed in the depart
ments and bureaus of the govern
ment are of one school of medicine,