The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-02-04

auditor. This also will be an admin
istration measure and will be put
through by the Taggart combine In the
two houses unless its foot slips.
The bill to amend the corrupt prac-
tees act so as to give politicians and
political organizations a little more
leeway in the spending of money also
will be rushed through. This bill pass
ed the house last Tuesday by vote of
ss to 0. and 1t is said that 1t will have
no trouble in sliding through the SEN
ate.
A blue sky law will be passed, but
1t will be in a new bill that will take
the place OF those now before the
house. according to the leaders of tho
machine. This bill will be introduced
IN day or two, they say. and 1t will
be an administration measure.
The Keegan bill to regulate the sale
of cocaine and other habit forming
drugs will come from the committee
on medicine and health in the house
today with a report for passage. The
bitterest kind OF fight is being made
on this bill by doctors over the state.
because the bill does not give the en-
forcement OF the law and the handling
of the money which it appropriates
over to the state board of health IN
stead of the state pharmacy board. In
fact, the Jealous scrap carried on by
the doctors. abetted by the manufac-
turing chemists who want to kill any
attempt to regulate the dope traffic
has reached such point that Governor
Ralston has served notice publicly that
he will not permit any state empioye
to make any effort to defeat good leg
islation on this subject.
The fact is that the doctors are mis-
representing the bill to the public for
the purpose of creating sentiment
against 1t. They are saying that the
bill as 1t stands would prevent the doc
tors from prescribing morphine. CO.
caine or any other poisonous drug to
patient. even In an emergency case
The KeeEan bill would not do any
thing OF the kind In fact. no law
could be passed by any legislature
not even by congressional would take
away from a physician the right to
prescribe any remedy he saw mt to
prescribe administer to his patient
This bill would not AFFECT the legiti-
mate doctor who gives these drugs for
legitimate use In legitimate cases. but
1t would reach out and seize the IL
legitimate, crooked doctor who gives
out uopc u PCiSOhS WIN a. AoDAe0"A
users of It, 1t would put stop to the
Illegal traffic in these drugs. and that
is all it would do. No reputable ply
stefan could object to that.
1t has been noted here that there is
a great uproar among the physicians
of South Bend against the Keegan bill,
and some of them are telling the people
that If this bill is passed a doctor that
is called in the country to see pa
tient could not administer morphine
unless the patient himself went to a
drug store, probably ten miles away,
and got the drug himself on pre-
scription of the physician.
This whole uestion has been submit
ted to Attorney General Honon and he
has given his official opinion that the
bill would not in any manner inter
| fere with the physician in prescribing
| or administering any drug or remedy
at any time to any patient anywhere
| but 1t would limit the use of the drugs
to the legitimate practice OF the ply
stefan.
| It is regarded here as strange thai
| this kind of a fight should be made
/ against the bill at South Bend. where
some of the worst conditions evel
found in this state we're unearthed q
/ few months ago.