San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-29
More Money to Fight Stock
Disease Than for
/ Humans.
LAW NOT ENFORCED

OF the state Medical Act, DIR. A. &
Scott of Temple. Texas. state prcsi
dent of the Texas Medical Associa
ton, stated in his annual address dur
ing the opening meeting of the asso
citation, at its 5Sth session, that 10000
people die annually in Texas from pre-
! ventable disease. and that this condi
ton cannot be relieved until the pub
lie is willing to enforce the law tina,
denies practice to any except compe
, tent physicians. barring "imposters
and followers of "false cults"
A conservative estimate shows that
10000 people die annually in thi:
state from preventable disease" DR.
Scott stated, "and the fact that these
numbers are daily being increased is
reason enough for serious consideration
of the probability of prevention. This
rate represents an average of 575 per.
sons per week. or So per day. and il
these cases should rotate between
cities, instead of being so scattered
the public would soon realize the prob.
lem it is facing. and would become
more interested in preventing the
spread of disease and in avoiding dis
ease. than it is in party politics, and
would become more concerned over
the preventable mortality than it is
now over the Jap threat or Teapot
Dome"
| Three Things Needed.
| DIR. Scott said that three things are
necessary for the prevention of dis
ease: first, an increased proportion
of education and competent physi.
clans; second the creation by the
state Legislature of a state board of
health, with powers to function prop
erly; and third, a more educated pub
lic."
That no physician or band of ply
sicians wants a custom such as the
Chinese habit of paying the doctor for
continual service, was stressed by DIR.
Scott, who said that in Texas people
have an almost child-like faith in their
physician.
while very large part Of the
lpracticing medical profession has every
reason to be trusted by the public, II
is unfortunate that cults and prac'
tees have sprung up that are not
worthy of such confidence, and that
incompetency among OUT. own profes
sion at times makes confidence dan
gerous," DIR. Scott said. This pub
lie trust has paved the way for un.
scrupulous men who deal with hui
man life simply for their own gain,
without training and without the
proper knowledge Of disease. These
cults ignore science and allure the
sick with tempting promises of relief,
based at times on testimonials that
are false and easily obtained"
Dozen Cults i'm Texas.
The existence of cults in America,
no less than a dozen in Texas. some
with religious tendencies. was cited by
DIR. Scott as reason for n dangerous
condition, as he declared that some of
these practitioners are unqualified and
incompetent, presenting the chief OBJ
1 stacle to progress in medical art.
The Texas Legislature has at
tempted to protect the public by lin
| iting licenses to practice to those only
who can qualify as intelligent. compe-
| tent men," DIR. Scott said, but the
sane action of the Legislature in this
matter has evidently been misunder-
stood. The public has been indiscrimi-
| nate in the matter of accepting medi-
cal advice from those not qualified,
and have neglected TO demand the en-
| forcement of n law that was made for
their own protection and benefit"
DIR. Scott stated that the Medical
Practice Act provides for the treat
ment of the sick by licensing only those
who have proved by certain tests APP
piled that they have knowledge which
will warrant them in undertaking to
treat the sick, and he said that this
Jaw does not restrain or limit the
kird or class of practice, providing
that the practitioners are men of abili-
| ty to deal with human life.
They Spread Disease.
knowledge is safety" DR.. Scott de-
clared. 1T naturally follows that the
degree of safety in advice given by
medical advisors depends on the
knowledge that made possible that ad.
vice. In order TO treat the sick with
any degree of safety, a man must
have years of study and must under.
stand the fundamental principles oil
anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pa.
thology and bacteriology as applied to
the body"
Texas now has 5000 physicians prac-
ticing under some creed or science, OF
which at least 80 per cent are incom-
petent, DIR. Scott declared. Several
hundred grossly incompetent impos-
tiers" were added to this list by DIR.
Scott, who stated that these incompe-
tents are practicing under the pre-
lenses" of cults. These cults. he
claimed, treat all disease as arising
from one cause, or else they treat all
disease with one method.
DIR. Scott charged that these cult
doctors are responsible for the spread
of disease, causing through their made
quate treatment whole neighborhoods
TO become infected. and often causing
the patients in their care to become
too i'll to respond TO medical treat
ment when it is given, through neglect
and prejudice in calling medical help.
DR.. Scott stated that no physician
is infallible. and admitted that often
nature is responsible for te apparent
cures worked. but said that every ply |
stefan admits that he is not simply |
a means of curing disease. but an OPP |
erative in aiding nature whenever pos
sible.
Mere Money for Cattle.
The shortage of competent doctors |
in Texas was charged by DIR. Scott to
the announcement of so-called "cults, +" (
whose practice has prevented many
from entering the medical profession
on account of the unjust competition,
according to the presidents address.