Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-03
Federal Investigation Follows
Revelations Made by AS
Sociation Here.
NOTES ON LECTURES
SCANNED AT HEARING
Questioned in Secret, Graduate"
Emerge Defending Course" and
Charging Unfairness.

Approximately so men and wom-
en-, holders of degrees OF doctor of
osteopathy, appeared at the United
States attorneys office this morn
ing in response to subpoenas and
were questioned by Miss Pearl Nc
Call, assistant United States attor-
ney, as to the source of their
diplomas.
The batch of subpoenas is believed
to have resulted from revelations
made last week by officials of the
Osteopathic Association of the Dis
trict of Columbia that an unknown
number of persons were engaged in
the practice of osteopathy here on
the authority of diplomas issued
after a three-day course in 1923 at
a local chiropractic school.
Loaded Down With Diplomas.
Those summoned were instructed
to bring with them their diplomas,
lecture notes taken during their
course and any literature they may
have received from the president of
an osteopathic college in another
State, who came to Washington to
give the course. They appeared
loaded down with documents and
were taken into Miss McCall's office
in groups of five or six.
The questioning was secret, but it's
general trend was disclosed by the
remarks of those who came out of
the room and conferred with others
still waiting their turn. There was
a disposition among those questioned
to attribute the subpoenas to an
organized drive against them by
Washington physicians and members
of the Osteopathic Association, who
say that the competent practitioner
of osteopathy must have spent at
least four years in a recognized pro-
fessional college before receiving a
diploma.
1T looks like this to me-" said one
doctor of oSteopathy, who admitted he
had received his degree in three days,
but claimed he was entitled to it be-
cause of previous studies of chiro-
practic. They amt fighting fair.
Why don't the doctors do like the
chain stores do? They open places
next door TO each other and have fair
competition for the business"
Some Uncertain on Time.
Some of those summoned disclaim-
ed that they ever had actually prac-
tised osteopathy, despite their diplo-
mas, and said they had confined them.
selves TO chiropractic treatments.
Some admitted that it had taken them
only three days to become doctors of
osteopathy, while others were uncer-
tain just how long the course had
lasted. One man insisted, after COM
ing from Miss McCall's Office, that he
had attended lectures and studied for
two weeks, night and day. This, he
said, he considered equivalent to a
30-day course.
Sometimes" he said Indignantly,
II sat up until o'clock in the morn
ing studying. She asked me if j
had graduated from high school.
went to high school right here in
Washington. but l never finished and
so / can't show diploma"
Some of the three-day graduates dis
played with pride the handsomely
printed diplomas they had received
One woman showed two when Miss
Mccall came to the door to admonish
those in the hall to have all the lit
erature they had with them ready to
display One of these was a diploma
of doctor of naturopathy awarded by
a local school. The other was a di-
ploma Of doctor of osteopathy awarded
by the New Jersey college, whose
president gave the three-day course
here.
Worst Yet." Says Official.
The diplomas of both schools stated
that they were chartered by the Con-
gress of the United States"
This is the worst I have seen
yet" said an attache of United States
Attorney Gordon's office who saw
them.
Some of those questioned, it was
shown by the conversation in the han,
had not attended the three-day course.
but held their diplomas from other
schools of osteopathy in various
states which are not recognized by
the Osteopathic Association of the Dis.
trict of Columbia as competent to
teach this profession.
Among those who admitted that
their osteopathic degrees were from
the three-day college there was con-
indignation that their com
petence to practice seemed to be un-
der question. They insisted that their
previous studies of chiropractic. which
involved anatomy, physiology, psy-
rhology and other sciences connected
with the body, was the basic fact and
that the osteopathic course had GOV.
cred only those points in which osteop-
athy differs from other methods OF
drugless healing. They were assured
Oy Miss Mccall, they said, that they
themselves We're not under charges.
Although secrecy was observed re.
sarding the source of the information
and the purpose of the questioning.
officials of the Osteopathic Associa.
ton of the District of Columbia re-
Vealed yesterday that they had CON
iucted an intensive investigation dur
ng the past two weeks, which had
resulted in list of most of those
oracticing osteopathy or with osteo.
path degrees in their offices from
chools not deemed entirely reputable.
Granted After Friendly Suit.
The three-day degrees were issued,
I was revealed, almost Immediately
after a decision by Justice Van Orsdel
If the District Court OF Appeals in
1928. which gave the osteopaths of
legal recognition as mem
)ers of a recognized school of healing,
to diagnose illness and
practice upon any organ Of the human
,ody. This was the result of a friend
y suit brought by direction Of the
)steopathic Association against one
4 its members. Other drugless heal
ng methods have not been so recog-
lized in the National Capital. The re-
uH was TO give the osteopathic physi-
ian a professional standing.