Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-16
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Health [ awS

Health Laws,
 MT. Editor: While recognizing the merits of certain health laws" and the value of many of the functions of boards of health, further requests from the doctor for laws to add to the already abundant and complicated body of health legislation should arouse every citizen to do some se- riOUs thinking.
 Municipal, town, and state boards of health, also the United States Federal Health service are composed of those belonging to and -practtcing accord ing to the theories of one school of medicine, the allOpathiC or old school So-caIled. The United States has on it's pay roll upwards Of 5000 physi- clans Of this class. Consequently our health laws accord with one medical system and all the activities of health bodies, their observations, researches, etc, and all proposed health IegisIa- tion instituted or supported by those boards are based upon the theories of the one school to the exclusion of Oth- CT schools of medicine and other sys- teIns of healing. In the light of these facts, dces 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 earn est consideration of every citizen, the parent particularly?
 44C EatItCII ICCtIl LICulCdl ASSOCldTIOh Is on record as the prOpOnent of leg islatiOn. whereby every wage -earner, whose income is less than S12OO per year is to be taxed $200 annually for health insurance, and be provided with medical treatment by physicians paid out of public funds. One important feature of the plan, it's advocates con- fess, is that of assuring a fixed an nual income of $4,0OO to physicians The claim is made that doctors, as class, are very poorly paid.
 Obviously under such a law there could not be a choice of treatment, for there could be only one kind pro- Vided. Irrespective of all personal performances or desires. one would be compelled by law to submit to the Urea tment, and the physician as we'll furnished by the state.
 EditoriaIly the Gazette of St. Joseph, Missouri, has made some pertinent statements on this subject which doubtless will be of interest to your req ders.
 The The editorial is as follows:
 The suggestion of the American Medical association for a federal board of medical Iicensure" should be carefully gone into by the people gen erally. Whatever measures intended to regulate medical practice may be enacted by state or national IegisIa- lures are of deep interest to the pub lie, for it is the public which is af- fected. 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 medi- cine these days. The doctor sells none at all, and the druggist only a small part of what his professional brethren Of a generation ago disposed of year ly. The people are taking air and exercise in large doses, and nostrums lNyr 1A al ,I,S- people. moreover, are feeling very we'll in these latter days.
 So they do not need such 'protec- tion" from medical practitioners or as the esteemed pro- fessiOn of dOctoring sometimes seeks to have us believe. Ordinarily. the cit izen who can earn his own living and be prepared to care for others, par ticipate intelligently in elections, pay taxes, be subject to military duty, and otherwise discharge the obligations of modern life is capable of deciding what sort of treatment he desires for the conserving of his health. He is not, moreover, incapable as a rule Of likewise choosing how his children shall be healed of their real or fancied ills. So care should be exercises to the end that friendly and seIf-s acri- fcing medical practitioners shall not take upon themselves the burden Of deciding these matters for all the peo- pie.
 Congress is being urged just now to enact legislation more or less stringent in it's requirements under the guise of health measures. Some of the pro posed laws are doubtless well enough; others need to be tabled promptly. Whatever is today done by legislative bodies with respect to regulating pub- lie health conditions should have as it's basis the recognition of the inner ent right of every individual to the himself so long as such freedom does not interfere with equal rights of others. This generation demands s'1nln