The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-15
UNCLE SAM HAS
 5000 DOCTORS oN HIS PAYROLL
Farmer Reader Sees Need or Earnest Consideration of Pro-
 posed Health Measures.
Bridgeport, Conn.
 August IS, 1916.

To the Bditof:--
 While recognising the merits of cer- tain sshsalth laws'' end the value of many of the functions of boards of health, further requests from the doc tor of laws to add to the already abundant and complicated body of health legislation should arouse every citizen to do some serious thinking.
 Municipal, town, and state boards of health, also the United States Federal Health service are composed of those belonging to and practicing according to the theories of one school of medi- cine, the allopathic or old school so- called. The United Sta1es has on it's pay roll upwards of 5000 physicians of this class. Consequently our health laws accords with this one medical system and all the activities of health bodies, their observations, researches, etc, and all proposed health legisla- tion instituted or supported by these boards are based upon the theories of the one school to the exclusion of other schools of medicine and other systems of healing. In the light of these facts, does not the request from these doctors for the enactment of laws, which will give greater powers and extend the scope of their already large arbitrary authority, demand the earnest consideration of every citizen, the parent particularly?
 .2 T-s1 American Medical association is on record as the proponent of legisla- tion, whereby every wage-earner, whose income is less than $1,2O0 per year is to be taxed g annually for health insurance, and be provided with medical treatment by physicians paid out of public funds one impor- tant feature of the plan, its advocates confess, is that of assuring a fixed annual income of $4.00O to physicians. The claim is made that doctors, as class, are very poorly paid.
 Obviously under such a law there could not be choice of treatment, for there could be only one kind pro- vided. Irrespective of all personal preferences or desires, one would be compelled by law to submit to the treatwent, and the physician as well. furnished by the state.
 Elftorial1y the Gazette of St. Joseph, Missouri, has made some pertinent statements on this subject, which doubtless will be of interest to your
 Health Laws.
 The suggestion of the American Medical association for a federal board of medical Hcensure" should be carefully gone into by the people generllly. Whatever measures intend. ed to regulate medical practice may be enacted by state or national iegis- 1atures are of deep interest to the public, for 1t is the public which is affected. Even the wisest of medical practitioners may not be trusted to plan always those things for the peo- pie which the people desire.
 We. are taking precious little medf- cine these days The doctor sells none at all, and the druggist only a small part of what his professional breth- ren of a generation ago disposed of yearly The people are taking air and exercise in large doses, and nostrums by the absent treatment chiefly. The peopls, moreover are feeling very well in fhese latter days.
 So thst do not need such ''protec- ton" 1rtn mo1itai ptactitioners or oopy1 e tht 3beeemed