The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-26
State Meeting.

State Meeting.
The membership of this society in
cludes men who are the equals of any
medical men in the state. We owe it
to ourselves to take part in an active
personal way in our state association
meetings. Papers n reports of spe-
cia cases should be prepared and pre-
scented at the regular yearly meeting.
We can have a decided influence
throughout the state in medical mat
ters by taking part in these meetings.
1t gives excellent opportunity to. meet
and renew acquaintance with men,
and allow for a most excellent inter-
change of ideas M measures con-
nected with our profession. One of our
society is on the program committee
for the state meeting this year, and
l trust that man. will personally offer
him assistance by preparing a paper
for presentation at the coming meet
ing. 4.
State Medical Law.
THE state medical law is defective in
many important features. Good men,
men of learning and ability do not fear
the law. Opposition comes from the
incompetent. 1t has been suggested
that every citizen can easily under
stand why any n desiring to practice
the healing art should be competent
in those branches of learning which
are mmo to each and all systems of
treating the sick and injured. Hence,
no just difference of opinion is tenable
why we should not urge tina any one
desiring to practice in the care of the
sick be required by state law to con-
form to a law which will demand that
the applicant be competent in those
sciences which are held to be in COM
mon, such as anatomy, physiology,
bacteriology, obstetrics, pediatrics,
etc. The state law of New York now
makes provision of this kind.
THE day of special. schools of medi-
cine has passed. The allopath, the
~homeopath, the electric, or any member
of any special school of medicine of
years g would not today recognize
his So-called successors in any given
school of medicine. We of this century
have entered the time and age of ra-
tional medicine, and no one practitioner
uses exclusively any one special sys-
ten of treatment in his conduct of q
case. He who practices today strives
to understand the laws of nature gov
erning our bodily functions. He is
only the director for the man under
standing natures laws less than he.
He who practices today uses every
reasonable measure and remedy to al
leviate suffering, and so aid nature in
restoring a patient to normal health.
The practice of medicine has grown
to be and is more than the mere CIV
ing of medicine. In fact, hat man who
uses only drugs, mechanical devices, OF
the laying on of hands, and takes not
into consideration personal and public
hygiene, backed by an intimate knowl-
edge of the laws of natur as versed
in anatomy, physiology, bacteriology,
etc, today, is living in a past age and
cannot long recommend himself to a
fast growing public intelligence in
those things pertaining to individual
and community health. Hence we
should unite in asking thai the state
"a VI iiSblNp tAdilllliClS Dc It-
CURED to interrogate every candidate
asking for a license to practice the
healing art in every subject which is
common to all schools of medicine, and
not interrogate candidates in the mat
ter of special theraphy or drug giving.
Every man or WOman in the state will
understand that his is only a just and
reasonable request made in the inter-
est of and for the protection of the
individual citizen who consults any
practitioner. Thus no school of medi-
cine would be recognized by the state
law, n no system of healing would
be played as a favorite, One common
standard would suffice for all. Then
allow the practitioner to practice as
his intelligence and learning dictates
"The matter of amending the present
law is now under consideration by the
state board of medical examiners. In
this matter this society must go on
record at the proper time and in the