Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-04


after the Volstead Law in 20 far as the
prohibition enforcement act intcrferes
with or regulates the practice of medi-
cine. Suit has been brought in the
United States District Court in New
York To annul the provisions of the law
that restrict physicians to n limited
amount of whisky or other alcoholic
beverages IN the treatment of sick
persons, and II - announced that the
ease will he carried To the Supreme
Court Of the United States for hnal
decision.
Preliminary to this action the New
York physicians organized the Asso-
c,at'on for the Protection Of Constitu-
tional Rights, and IT is stated that
similar bodies will I've formed in other
cities and States to cooperate In the
tight. The gentlemen of the medical
profession say they have been silent too
long under the lnjustices of the Vol
stead Law and that they purpose cam
paign that will at least bc instructive to
the general public even If IT does not
result IN a modification OF the statute
which they ind obnoxious.
There - no connection between tins
new association and any lay oryaniza-
tion or any movement that is opposed
30 prohibition. In fact, II Is SAID that
some of the doctors are themselves
ardent proh,hltlonists. IL happens, how
ever, that they are equally ardent IN
opposition to any governmental inter
ference with their methods of practicing
therapeutics. That is something that
Congress is not supposed To know any
thing about.
In commenting upon the resort to the
courts one oi the officers ot the asso-
cation SAID that there was nothing hasty
or lll-considcrcd about II. They had
pondercd over the problem for month.
with growing irritation, for they had
witnessed needless suffering and threat
cucd death or else had deliberately
violated a law which they look upon as
stupid and unjust
The law SAWS that physician maN
no, prescribe more than pint OF whisky
ar brandy for patient within tcn-daN
PERIOD The doctors claim the right e
prescribe as much more IN that period a.
their Judgment and knowledge oi medl'
cine tells them the patient requires. anc
they contend that no one but physician
~ a competent Judge OF what tina
requirement may be.
Law makers Practiced Medicine.
When Congress passed the NolsteaC
Act the lawmakers were undertaking
90 practice medicine, according TO tn
doctors, and were assuming 10 know
more about what a patient needs thai
his physician. This is regarded by then
a. the vulnerable feature of the law an'
the one which the courts will not uphold
The method OF presenting the case $
as 90 insure reasonably speedy judicia
determination was simple Upon petitio
OF attorneys representing DR.. Samuel W
lambert. Dean Emeritus of the Colleg
ot Physicians and Surgeons OF Columhi
University. suhpoenas Were issued b.
the Clerk of the United States DistriC
Court requiring Edward {. lellowlel
Acting Prohibition Director for Ne'
York. David III. Blair, Commissione
oi Internal Revenue. and William
HAYWARD, United States Attorney 70
that District, 10 appear before the Cour
and show cause why The provisions G
laws enacted under the Eighteent
Amendment IN 40 far as they relate Z
physicians in the practice OF medicin
should not be iudicially declared in
operative.
DrLamher;ss the president of the ne'
organization formed by the doctor
aud his associate officials are sDr. jaime
! Mckernon, vice president; ID
Warren Coleman, secretary; DR.. Free
enc l.. Sondern, treasurer and DR.
Nathan l., Brill, William II. Drapc
Charles l.. Dana. I. T. Gorton, and
Bentley Aquier, executive COMMITTEE
man.
Dignity and importance are claime
for the movement on the strength
the personnel OF the association.
members are men mature IN iudgmel
and experience. and all are SAID TO
men al national and international il
putation. They are established in Il
hospitals and medical schools Of Ne
York and al are OF middle age or oldei
That delihsratiOn has characteJiz,
The movement l. attested by the ia
that u WAS started fully Is months a,
when eight prominent physicians a
dressed communication 10 the meI
iers of their profession. Dlsclaimir
any intention OF initiating propagan,
for or against prohibition. and declari
n 20 be immaterial whether a phvsici
does or does no, believe in prohibitic
they asserted that the point at issue
the right Of the physician 10 select
REMEDIES and decide what doses OF the
remedies each patient should have.