Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-28

physicians having undertaken a grea,
work in the aid of humanity. Think OF
what medical man should be. He
should be first above all clean man
then he should be an honest man. We
! have the privilege granted to US
through necessity of entering into youl
very hives; we enter your homes and
| become familiar with you and all mem
bers # it, and you all know the great
interest we take in that work. l an
very much interested in this subject
because il interests me. | have beer
| practicing medicine for 30 years, anc
many things have come up III That tim,
which have been for the honor OF the
| profession. Here is n question before
! us IN regard to the admitting to regis
tratIcn of this body of men called Os-
| tcorathS, men and women, and II we
do admit them to registration | am
afraid we are doing a dangerous thing;
| you are granting to them privilege
| of which you know nothing. They have
| spoken about their colleges, but we all
! know the limited extent to which they
| pre|dil. The OLD school can point with
| pride to laboratories in Europe and in
every country Of the world | can point
with pride 10 medical institutions, to
the great works of literature in the
field Of medicine, but if you let these
men come into our ranks, | dread the
| consequences. | leave the question to
your own judgment, it is for you and
! it IS not for me to decide.
Mr.. IRVING of Caribou; Mr.
! Speaker | have waited until | am sur
prised that no voice has been raised
here today in behalf of the people. !!
yield to no man i'm my respect, and al
most a Neneration. for the doctors Of
medicine. ] regard them as the great
est benefactorS of the race. | class
them among my list of heroes, who
without regard to comfort or personal
safety or life minister to the wants
of suffering humanity; and canno.
think it possible that those great men
should come To this Legislature ami
oppose Il measure purely because of
opposition to them in their everydaH
pursuits.
| wish to call attention to the fact
that the dentists have their special
board from whom they receive their
certificates of registration emitting
, them 10 practice. There are numerous
boards before which members Of 9TH
er professions go to receive their quail
iiications or permission TO practice. I
know nothing about osteopathy. l
simply know that there are cases
which have been relieved by those
who profess an ability to cure. We
want to know something about it, and
for that reason | am opposed to the
motion of the gentleman from Lewis
ton (Mr. Donoyan).
Mr. PLUMMER Of Lisbon Mr..
| Speaker | do not wish to be under
stood in opposing this bill as having
any antipathy towards the osteopaths;
such is not the case. | am convinced,
as | understood the gentleman FROM
Caribou (Mr. Irving) to state, that
the final answer to the question of tie
treatment of diseases has not yet been
made In the absence of u final and
definite answer l welcome any prop
esition, or any method of treatment.
which offers any Improvement. The
question before us, il seems to me,
presents itself in two heads. There is
first the question of the advisab ilitY
Of any regulation of osteopathy, or
any other branch of the practice of
medicine, if it may be so called; and
the second, in granting the advisibil-
ity of a board regulation. l have here
tofore stated before this House and
| do not propose to repeat any of
those arguments. that | am opposed
10 any regulation of these matters
whatever, and will only say in that
connection that Itthink if some Of
these things coulf be left alone that
they would virtually work themselves
out about as rapidly and successful
ly as can be done by any assistance
Z which can be rendered by even so able
body as the 10th Legislature of
Maine. But, l say. granting that il
! is advisable to regulate the practice
, of medicine, or the treatment of dis
= ease. il does not necessarily follow
e that it is advisable to have more than
= one board fer such regulation. The
original purpose Of the board was
{ tWo-fold one was. perhaps, or said
g to be at least, as all these things are
e said to be. for the protection of the
2 dear people at home who are not COM
l potent. perhaps, To choose their own
physician. or their own dentist, or per
= hapS even their own stallion. The
) other was that certain individuals
were quacks; they were not proper
ly equipped to practice medicine. No"
undoubtedly that may be true, and j.
: is probably true today; but as rap
idlV as we find that one branch IS
regulated, or Il board is appointed to
: examine applicants, such as the reg
ular board or the board of reSistra-
ton. se-called. there then comes M
, people such as OsteOpaths, Christian
:, Scientists. and any others there may
I be. who have been termed quacks by
| the regular profession. and who wish
| board of their own for the reason
{ that as they say, there are certain
ouacks outside of them imposing on
| the public under the name for i'll
stance. of osteopaths. Now, as | re-
member it. two years ago certain ar
guments were made, either in private
or before the House publicly, | won't
:, say which that there were certain in
diyiduals who had not received Il
proper education in osteopathy, and
that for the protection of the public
these certain individuals should be
! thn form nGtan \.