Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-02-22

they have law ana StdNt NNoiN
Their own which passes on the qhai-
lfications OF such practitioners. sec
lion seven 90 of our present law pro,
vldes that nothing in this act shail
be construed so as 20 interfere WIN
1.-THE practice Of csteopathy. optomftry
or dentistry as provided by law ana
the Doepp bill does not change CT
latter this in any respect
Regarding othcr Treatment.
Regarding religious sects. faith
lcures." divine healer" 'chlroprac-
tics" and the like. the passage or re-
lection OF Senator DOepp's bill VIII
not affect them IN the least me
present law regarding such persons
could not be made stronger and TINS
bin does not touch the matter IN
der our present law. such people when
lthey attempt to treat the SICK Tor
gain without first obtaining license
lelther from the medical or osteQ~
tpathie board. are subject 30 punish
ment not by the board Of medical
examiners hut by the courts of the
state. If they go before one Of the
existing state boards and show the
elementary knowledge required 10
recognize disease. their method OF
I treatment Will not be questioned py
I the board or the law, that being
matter solely between the practi-
toner and his patient. subject only
/ 10 the laws pertaining TO malpractice
with which the medical law has Moth
/ ing 10 do.
Every one Of the foregoing state
ments are absolute facts. not mere
/ assertions as are the statements 81
4 an the criticisms Of the bin which !
have seen. II any one doubts this. !
only ask him TO read carefully the
present law and compare Il withs the
Z enc proposed by Senator Doepp. The
statements herein regarding the laws
I OF other states can be proved 10 be
facts By any one interested enough
/ 10 Investigate. Just ask any physician
20 loan you the latest edition of the
/ National Medical Directory. In this
YOU will find the laws OF each state
| regulating the practice OF medicine
ana surgery. You will also note that
the requirements an this proposed
bin are only elementary, and designed
only to require an elementary knoWl-
edge Of certain subjects necessary for
any person before he attempts TO deal
with matters of life and death, not
only of the person employing him Duc
very often the whole community. IL
he possesses this elementary knowl-
edge. the medical law or the board
mas nothing TO do with his system OF
treatment" Under our system Of
government there can be no national
laws regulating the practice OF metl-
cine and this must be left TO each
state. Recent laws. both national Jnd
state, have placed grave responsible
tiles in the hands Of licensed physi-
clans in addition to those which have
always deyOlyed on them. / refer
10 the recently enacted Harrison mar
cote law seeking To eliminate the
great evil Of drug addiction, placing
the distribution of morphine. cocaine, ]
heroin and other habit-f0rming drugs
almost wholly al the discretion of {
legally qualified physicians. Also our
laws prohibiting the sale of alcoholics I
in various communities give. in most
eases. the licensed physician the right 1
TO distribute them at his discretion; |
and yet we have some who pose as I
creators of public opinion and sheer 1
at the most elementary tests of fit T
ness before the state places the stamp i
OF authority on a person by issuing a {
license to practice medicine.
VIII Not Affect Doctors.
Whether or not the Dill introduced !
by Senator Doepp passes or fails will I
not materially affect the medical pro- +
fession Of New Mexico individually. I
but it will affect in many ways the /,
good citizens of this state who have I
not taken the time or trouble TO LOOK +.
into these matters and who. in many /
cases. have been misinformed. This I
has been written in the hope of en- /
tightening the people of this state as
10 the true position of every honest
and conscientious physician regarding
medical laws, whether he be a mem
Der OF a medical organization or not
AS the newspapers are the chief I
source Of such information for most
Of the people, and as 1 have not seen
enc criticism of the Doepp bill that
touches ore real provision Of the bill,
| could not let go unchallenged such
glaring misstatements.
w. T. JOINER. NJ. D.
President New Mexico Medical Society