The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-03-26
WHEN A DOCTOR is NOT A DOCTOR

Last year bills were introduced in four state
legislatures proposing that all public institu-
part by public revenue or exempted from taxa
ton should grant equal privileges to practi.
TONERS Of all forms Of the healing art None OF
these bills became a law. In Colorado the leg
islature killed bill that proposed, among
other things, that no discrimination should be
made in county hospitals against practitioners
Of any school Of healing In Florida, Washing
ton and Utah bills sought to permit all drug
less healers to render to injured employees the
treatment required by workmens compensation
acts. All these bills were killed.
How can an intelligent legislature grant to
pra cttioners Of any school OF healing the right
to practice and even the right to use the title
Of Doctor" and then refuse to permit such le.
gally licensed practitioners to function IN the
service Of the public?
Graft is the answer. Graft in the form of
palm greasing or in the form Of political pa
tronage which the legislators employ to keep
themselves and their party In power.
Graft is the explanation for our comieal an
tediluvian. system OF regulating the healing
business or profession. Every little state or
province has board or bunch OF ooar r a.
tie rules and ways, and there Is the darndest
lot of red tape surrounding the reciprocity
racket, 80 that when doctor legally Saan na
to move to Bunkvile, no matter how good he
may be or how good a fellow, chances are
he have to take O little examination" at the
hands Of the boys on the board OF examiners
in Bunkville, or at least slip EN- $50 or 500
for endorsement of his license-oh It's a great
little system. and there is big wad Of nice re-
spectacle graft In 1t for the politicians who run
the racket.
II the state or province sees fit to license an
osteopath or q chiropractor or a naturopath or
a homeopath and to give the healer the right
to use the tito Of Doctor, isn't 1t absurd to at
tempt to restrict him to O limited field Of prac-
tce, say the general public In private life and
to forbid him practicing In the public hospital
or upon injured or sick workmen?
How much longer will the peasantry endure
this farce, this big time vaudeville? It costs
the taxpayer q pretty penny to maintain this
ridiculous doctor licensing graft. Some such
jumbled system may have been necessary In
the old days but this country Is surely well
and costly method of regulating the healing
art If the federal government Is not to have
charge of the matter, then at least some basic
or fundamental standard should be established
by the government for constituent assemblies
to follow in legislation pertaining to such an
important factor Of national welfare. Here is
structve economy, If the politicians are not
feeding us a lot Of eyewash about that.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Britannica Has 1t Right
A friend &C. N. M sends in u page from a
prospectus. specimen page of the new Britain
MICA, which contains a brief description of the
illustrations. The illustrations show BOTH
of the subjects arms extended well above the
head. G. N. NJ. observes I'm marginal note:
"NOt so crude, eh?"
Answer-The Britannica has 1t right. But
won't those in the American Red Cross who
have the nerve to introduce an Improvement"
on Schafers method be mad when they see 1t?
They Wear Red Flannel LAned Uniforms
When things like these can be printed in q
leading newspaper. mrs Il. #. L.
Answer-Mrs L. incloses clippings telling
about the organizing of class in first aid and
demonstration of the inhalator by members
of the IRE department The inhalatoE Is a
valuable adjunct of resuscitation by the
Schafer (prone- pressure) method. 1t provides
the most powerful stimulant to breathing-a
mixture of 7 per cent carbon dioxide and
oxygen which the victim inhales under the
operators manipulations. Why they had fire.
men to demonstrates" don't know. unless 1t
be the fire lads do love to perform and the
manufacturers are keen to take advantage Of
the popular craving for the spectacular.
Let's Make It Confidential
Would you advise young man OF no.
III. p. HI
Answsr-I have no advice 10 offer uniden-
tiled thire persoss or hypothetical persons.
But am always happy to give any informa-
ton or help can TO any one who writes me
In confidence about himself.