Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-04

believe lin prohibition, they as
serted that the point at issue is the
right of the physician to select his
and decide what doses of
those remedies each patient should
have. .l.-
=. Law Denies This Right.
THE Volstead act denies this
right" said the address,, while rec
ogni1ing the medicinal value Of alco-
hol. 1t says to 'the8physician, Thou
shalt not give more than, q pint of
within 10 days. Further than: this,
statements given by!persons, interest
cd in promoting similar legislation
contain the threat to prohibit alto
gether the medicinal use OF alcohol.
Whether there Is a difference of opin-
ion among the physicians of the
country with rekpect to the therapeu-
tic value of alcohol, the. number Of
those having faith in it Is sufficiently
large to receive attention.
"The medicinal restrictions Of the
Volstead act constitute an indictment
OF the integrity OF the whole medical
profession, in. that it is assumed that
many Of it's members, unless restrain
cd. by law, will pander for gain to the
peoples desire for drink.
Further it should be pointed OUT
that the Volstead act contains the
most drastic legislation affecting the
medical profession yet enacted. A
physician becomes a criminal by the
mere fact Of writing a prescription
for more than a pint of whislkey for
n patient within 10 days. and SO for
n o. t1o roXyooo finf1' nP hiS porr,if tu cnr-
cerned, is denied his constitutional
right of trial by jury.
THE precedent established by the
Volstead act in restricting medical
practice should, II physicians value
their therapeutic liberty be met with
a protest which will command atten-
ton. Today. it Is alcohol, tomorrow
it may be n remedy which falls un-
der the BAN" ~
However, it is not to be concluded
that all physicians are up in arms
against the Vofstead law. III June.
1917, after DIR. Charles H.. Mayo; the
we'll known surgeon Of Rochester.
Mimi, had made a strong address
favoring prohibition, the house of
delegates Of the American Medical
association adopted resolutions Stat
ing that the use of alcohol is detri-
meptal to the human economy and
it's use in therapeutics as q tonic slim
ulant or for food has no scientific
value. and placing the association on
record as opposing the use Of alcohol
as n beverage and discduraging its
use as a therapeutic agent.
This led to a, QUESTIONABLE under
the auspices of The Journal Of the
American Medical association which
was sent to more than $4,000 physi-
clans throughout the United States.
Approximately 15S per cent of these
physicians voted in this referendum.
and in response to the question az to
whether they. regarded wh:skey as q
necessary therapeutic agent in the
practice Of medicine, 81 per cent OF
those voting answered yes,sand 40 per
cent answered no.
Nothing has been said by or for the
new association to indicate whether
It will make a fight for the amend
ment Of the Wolstead act in; event the
courts uphold Its constitutionality
with the respect to its restrictions up
on physicians.
That is a bridgefto be crossed after
a decision has been handed down In
the case brought in. New York.
neutrality-suspicious. will conLin-
,ue to hold It's pre-eminence as the
most discussed subject In the United
States. the weather not even excepted.
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