The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-16
PEOPLES FORUM


| a separate board of chiropractic
examiners to examine applicants
| and determine their professional
fitness to practice chiropractic in
this state? Georgia has had a
| chiropractic law for several years,
so has Florida, and Tennessee al
most unanimously passed such a
law at the last meeting of their
| legislature. whereas similar
measure in our state legislature
was defeated by medical money.
The chiropractor Is the friend of
the people and should be legally
recognized as such. At the pres
ent time there are some $4,000
doctors of chiropractic practicing
[ in the United States, about 10000
students in the chiropractic schools
and colleges in this country. and
satisfied patients are numbered by
the millions. Chiropractic is go
| ing to continue to grow. Chiro-
| practic is not the practice of med
icine and should not come under
the law regulating the practice of
medicine. but should be governed
| by separate board composed of
doctor Is no more qualified to pass
upon the fitness of chiropractor
than a chiropractor is to pass
upon a medical doctor.
A great deal is said against the
chiropractors' education, the short
| ness of their courses of study.
| etc, for the purpose of putting
the profession In bad light and
deceiving the public. The medical
course was at one TINE a five
months course. | am still young
man, but l can remember when II
was possible for young man to
ride around with a medical doctor
when making his professional
calls, study under him in his Of
flee for while. then himself en-
gage In the practice of medicine,
The minimum chiropractic course
Is three years, to be shortly ex-
tended to four years. All the
schools are now working towards
higher educational standards.
Why do medical men deny the ef-
ficacy of chiropractic in the treat
ment of disease and at the same
time want to control it? IF 1t is
no good. fake, pure bunk, as
they would have the laity believe,
why fight 1t so strongly? The
writer was personally cured by
chiropractic after number of
medical doctors, some of them
specialists, had gravely shaken
their heads and said there was no
further hope-chiropractic pro-
duced the goods after medicine
failed.
For number of years the
chiropractors in the state of Call
fornia We're terribly prosecuted by
the medical doctors. They were
indicted, prosecuted, found guilty,
fined and Jailed under the medi-
cal practice act. Three fourths of
the fine was turned over to the
state medical board as fund to
prosecute other chiropractors.
The minimum fine was usually
800, which meant that SIS went to
the state medical board to be used
against other chiropractors! Fin
ally the condition became so intol-
cradle that the matter was placed
squarely before the people. with
the result that the people demand
ed chiropractic law and sepa-
rate chiropractic examining board
1t was wonderful victory for the
chiropractors in that state. Is
Alabama going to become a sec
ond California? The state public
health officer, DR.. WEIGH, has de-
clared himself against chiroprac-
tors. He has said they must not
practice in this state. Who is
DIR. WEIGH, and when was he given
so much authority? Why should
any one man or body of men re-
gard themselves as being the ones
who shall determine who shall
and shall not practice his or her
profession tnmolested In this
state? The chiropractors are do
ing lot of good, are relieving old
chronic cases pronounced incura-
BILE by the medicos, and should be
legally protected against such men
as DR.. Welch in this state, and
against all others who seek to ex-
terminate them.
Chiropractic is having a hard
fight in such unprogressive states
as Alabama. but the chiropractors
are here to stay-they refuse to
be exterminated by such men as
WEIGH and others of a like caliber.
In your fine editorial in today's
paper on "Out Upon Lynching"
you state Public sentiment can
accomplish almost anything" This
is very true statement, and when
public sentiment is fully aroused
to the great injustice being done
the chiropractors by the law
makers in the state of Alabama
by not giving them legal recogni-
tion, the chiropractors will get
justice. and not. until then. BY
bringing the matter before the
people persistently in your edito-
rial columns as editors OF other
papers in other states where the
same problem has existed have
done you can do much for the
cause. r. p. TROTTER.
Talladega, Ala, April 10, 1923.
Praises The AEe-HeraId
To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
1t is a we'll established fact that
the Birmingham Age-Herald Is a
fast growing newspaper in a fast
growing city. The Age-Herald Is
in every sense a real newspaper.
1t is unbiased by any personal
prejudice and no corporation or
special interest, no matter how
strong or powerful, has any con-
troll over it. The news it gives is
accurate and reliable and is Sc
cured without regard to cost or
trouble. It's editorials are we'll
balanced, we'll thought out. never
exaggerated and of a nature that
always makes for better. bright
er. bigger and buster city.
Z. r. WAITE.
Secretary Shawnee, Oklahoma,
Board of Commerce.