Evening star., 1927-07-24

ALOIii I IdSc.D
give courses comparable to those
given by medical schools. AS a re.
suit, the leading osteonaths and the
graduates of these recognized colleges
dn Washington they are members
Of the Association Of Osteopathic
Physicians of the District Of Colum.
bia. Inc) have allied themselves with
the medical doctors In seeking rene.
dial legislation concerning the prac.
tice of medicine and healing in the
District Of Columbia.
On the other hand. the medical pro-
fession still doubts the theory Of
chiropractic. The doctors Of chiro.
practic are inclined to lay this to
professional jealousy. The doctors Of
medicine contend. on the other hand,
that their study Of the human sys-
tenn prevents them from adopting the
theory of chiropractic. This Is neither
here nor there, for 1t does not enter
into the problem faced in Washington.
may be right, and they both may be
wrong.
Headway Is Made.
The chiropractors, despite the op.
position from the medical profession,
have made considerable headway.
Most Of all. they have sought to win
legal recognition Of their schools of
healing as separate and distinct from
the theory Of medicine.
The difficulty complicating the
whole situation. however, has been
the diploma mill' production of
drugless physicians. High stand.
ards Of the medical profession have
served only to protect the pub
lie from quacks using the title of
NJ. D. Any other degree Is easily
| obtained. The holder thereof Is en-.
titled to practice without question in
some of the States and in the Dis
fact, degree or diploma is not neces.
sary in the District. One may con-
fer upon himself the title Of doctor
Of chiropractic or doctor Of ostcOp.
athy and Immediately set about prac.
ticing on the human body. He VIC.
| lates no law in so doing.
So. while the condition in the Dis
| trict is worse than 1t was before
! the passage of the medical practice
act in 1895. when a lot of quacks
were run out Of town, there are diff.
ferences Of opinion, and very marked
| differences they are. about how to
remedy it. The quacks. Of course,
want no restrictive legislation. The
! doctors Of chiropractic who are grad
yates of their hest schools want a
separa te board OF chiropractic to pass
upon their qualifications to practice.
r,.rd of Examiners Favored.
Doctors OF osteopathy who are
graduates of recognized schools are
siding with the doctors Of medicine
| i'm asking for a board of examiners
which will set nm equal standard for
all applicants for license to practice
healing. Bona fide doctors of este
| Opathy are as anxious as anybody
if not more 50. to get rid of the
quacks who call themselves doctors
of osteonathy.
The Medical Society Of the District
and members OF the Osteopathic AS
year which they urged Congress to
pass In the first place, the bill car.
fied new definition of what is meant
by the practice Of medicine. This
definition states:
THAT the practice Of medi.
cine shall mean to oren an office for
| such purpose, or to announce to the
public or to any individual in any way
a desire or willingness or readiness tC
treat any sick or afflicted person or
persons, or to investigate or diagnose
or offer to investigate or diagnose. any
| aiiment or disease of the mind OF
body. or any bodily injury. or to sug
gest. recommend. prescribe or direct
for the use Of any person or persons
| any agency. whether material or not
material, for the cure. relief. pallia
ton or prevention of any ailment ol
disease of the mind or body. or for the
cure or relief of any bodily defect ol
injury. after having received. or witt
the intent of receiving therefor, either
directly or indirectly. any bonus, gtf
or compensation"
The definition also restricts the USE
of the terms doctor" professor.
healer" etc, to those engaged In th'
practice of medicine as above defined.
Would Create Board.
; The proposed measure would create
board OF medical education and II
censure for the District Of Columbia
to consist of six practitioners o
medicine" (practice of medicine beinI
defined in the bilD and three other
not engaged in the practice OF medl
cine. and this board would pass on tn
eligibility Of applicants for license t
practice medicine. 1t would requir
, of the candidates four-year, higl
school course. at least two years o
Z college work in biology. chemistry am
physics, and four years work In
! professional college OF standing. TIL
) six practitioners OF medicine" on tn
, board would he drawn from the differ
; ent schools OF healing. and. theoret
l caily at least, would consist Of repre-