The weekly soliphone., 1917-03-29
|DR. J. M. HOWELL
 IN EXPLANATION
Says He Had No Intention of Prac- ticing Medicine Without License
 Was Merely Oversight.

rested last week upon information filed by Deputy Prosecuting Attor- ney Jeff Bratton, charging that he had practiced medicine in Arkansas
 without having stood an examina- ition before the state board of med ical examiners, writes a lengthy ex- lplanation of his actions. Dr. How els article was written in reply to a story appearing in a recent issue of The Daily Press, in which men, tion was made of the fact that the information had been filed. DR. HOWELL'S STATEMENT.
 "The article appearing in The Daily Press of Thursday, March 22, 1917, places the undersigned in a rather embarrassing position due to the negligence of both myself and some others. While l may be guilty of a technical violation of the law in that I have done some practice without actually having a certificate authorizing me to do so, have not intended to disregard 1 the laws of this state. When ] first came to the state with a view of locating here for the practice of medicine, l made application for a temporary permit to practice med icine and surgery until the state board, which examines applicants | to practice, meets in June, at which time it was my purpose to stand the examination required un- der the laws of this state.
 "As to my qualifications to prac- tice medicine and surgery will say l that 1 am graduate of the fol- | lowing medical schools Birming- ham Medical College, Birmingham, Ala.;, Memphis Medical College, Memphis, Tenn; besides l have talk 1 en some post graduate work ill a polytechnic institute at New Or leans. 1 began the practice of med | icine in 1904 and have remained continuously in the practice except while in school or taking post grad uate work As physician and sur geon I have been connected with and done work in the Hillman Hospital, Birmingham, Ala; Smith and St. Vincent Infirmary, Birm- | ingham.
 'I have been surgeon for the fol- lowing companies: Galloway Coal Co.,, Memphis, Tenn. Republic Iron & Steel Co.,, Birmingham; U. s. Cast Iron, Pipe x Foundry Co.,,
 Birmingham; Aetna Powder Co.,, Birmingham, DuPont Powder Co.,, Birmingham; Travellers Insurance Co.,; also, of Illinois Central R. R. Co.
 q have license to practice medi- cine and surgery in the states of Tennessee and Alabama. l opened temporary office here for the practice of medicine about one month ago and would have opened permanent office if proper quarters could have been secured. l have had very satisfactory practice since coming to Paragould. It is | an oversight that no temporary permit has reached me at this time. am advised by phone by the proper authorities at Little Rock that my permit will be either wired or mailed to me tonight.
 'It has not been my disposition at any time to in any way evade the laws of Arkansas. So far as have been able to learn the laws lof Arkansas constitute reasonable
 regulations for the purpose of pro-
 teeting the public against persons
 incompetent to practice medicine
 and surgery. As before stated, tho
 practice I have done here was done
 under the assurance that my permit to do so would be granted. That it has been granted 1 have already
 stated, and that it will reach me il due time l assure the public.
 really should have expected tha
 some person selfishly interested
 would display some unusual activit!
 in attempting to discredit me il
 this new field. The public is asket
 to withhold judgment, as l assur' them those who have sought to un dermine me and take undue ad vantage of me will become known Certainly any person who desires t be fair would not have taken tn steps they have without makinl an investigation. If they had mad the investigation certainly no on would have taken the steps to hay me prosecuted except they wer prompted by a most selfish and un worthy interests. l did not say t anybody that 1 was as competent t practice medicine as anybody, fo am not given to braggadocio. think I am competent to practic my profession or I would not at tempt it. l would rather let tn impartial public judge of my qual