Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-25
Osteopathy Practiced
By Many Incompetents
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
Mr.. Ben McKelway's interesting and
widely read articles on his varied ex-
periences with local drugless practi.
TONERS may do much good or harm,
according to the conclusions drawn
by various readers not from what
Mr.. McKelway says, but from what he
leaves unsaid. In kindly spirit and
for the information Of your readers l
would like to call attention to a few
facts, pro and con.
The mistaken, inadequate or incom-
plete diagnosis is not a thing peculiar
to the drugless practitioner. A COM
plete diagnosis calls for expensive
equipment and the services of nearly
a score of highly trained specialists
and laboratory technicians and costs
from $3.50 up. Then the post-mortem
table reveals that approximately one
half die of disease different from the
one for which they were treated.
Physicians, being human, differ &C.
cording to their lights.
The writer is believer in absolute
medical freedom for the patient. at
least until such time as there is a
nearly infallible system of diagnosis
and treatment, which is yet afar off.
1t one would live or die with the
services of a drug doctor, an osteo-
path, Christian Scientist or a voodoo
doctor, it is his business alone, and
that is the only viewpoint consistent
with American ideals of liberty. But
let not the Christian Scientist call him.
self a medical man or the VOodoO doc
tor pretend that he Is an osteopath.
That is committing fraud upon the
public and should be regulated by law.
Speaking only Of the osteopath situ3
ton, with which / am more familiar,
the public should know that there is
no legal regulation in the District of
Columbia. This is due to two reasons;
there has been no popular demand,
because our citizens are not informed
of the chaotic conditions here, and be-
cause attempts to get adequate legisla-
ton have always met with powerful
opposition from sources economically
interested.
There is probably no city in the
country where there are so many So
called osteopaths practicing under
fraudulent diplomas as in Washington.
Most of these pretend to be practiCing
osteopathy in conjunction with some
other drugless system. Diploma mills
in New Jersey, the District of Column
bia and Illinois have each contributed
to this fraud upon the public. How
ever, be it remembered that even diplo-
ma-mill credentials are not required
to practice osteopathy in Washington.
Bellboy or baker may turn doctor over
night here.
Osteopathic schools, nearly all of
which are non-profit institutions owned
by the profession, have course re-
quiring the same time and about
the same subject matter as medical
schools, but the mechanical causation
Of disease is stressed more than in the
medical schools. Many local osteo-
paths were graduated in six days by
New JerSey-DiStrict Of Columbia COM
bine of millers. Telephone listings
have revealed approximately one-third
of the osteopaths here as pretenders.
Mr.. McKelway's description of osteo-
pathic experience bears internal evil
dence of his calling upon graduate
of a local diploma-mill whom he calls
an osteopath. / call attention to this,
as l am jealous of the good name OF
osteopathy, which has already suffered
much through these miscalled osteo-
paths.
One more thought and am through.
Mr.. McKelway is evidently skeptical
about the existence of spinal subluXa-
tions. I am not speaking of his own
in particular. / believe that with a
clear understanding of what the term
implies / can convince him of the ex-
istence, Importance and frequency of
spinal solicitations. the only require
ments being a little time, a friendly
interest, an open mind and an ele-
mentary knowledge of mechanics.
RILEY d. MOORE.