It is a regrettable fact that a more determined effort has not been made by the homoeopathic profession to acquaint the regular school of practice and the public at large with the superior results obtained by the application of the Law of Similars.
Now is our great opportunity to prevent domination of any school of practice, thus safeguarding the liberty and rights of the individual practitioners, as well as the individual citizen. This can best be brought about by an ethical citizen. This can best be brought about by an ethical lay journal. This is essential to be proper presentation of homoeopathy, if we hope to survive.
THE ATTITUDE OF THE PUBLIC TOWARD THE REGULAR SCHOOL PHYSICIAN.
It is interesting to note that in a canvas made covering a portion of the city of Seattle, Washington, it was learned that 55 percent of the population canvassed were employing physicians not belonging to the dominant school of practice. That this is not centralized in one district is borne out in the Literary Digest of Sept. 22, 1923, in the printed article, What People Think of the Doctors. It is there states that an inquiry was suggested and financed by Dr. James H. Hutton of the Chicago Medical Society for the contacting of 6,772 persons in all walks of life, the result to which showed that of the 6,772 persons contacted, 93 percent had employed physicians outside of the regular school, while but 7 percent consulted allopathic physicians exclusively.
In spite of the much-publicized boast of the regular school that it has made great strides in the past twenty years, the following quotations would give even the average man the idea the dominant school is “whistling in the dark”:.
From the Bulletin of King Country Medical Society, Seattle, Washington, March 20, 1939, we find the statement:.
No one can deny that distrust of the profession, expressed by a considerable number of the legislators, is a reflection of the attitude of a large section of the public and by this time it is quite certain that the entire profession has come to realize the low estate into which our popularity has fallen.
It has become highly important that we utilize every legitimate source of publicity in order to correct the misunderstanding which has arisen and to combat some of the prejudiced, highly colored criticism and adverse publicity which has been appearing in certain publications. “Our own profession has had, in recent years, a tendency toward a destructive type of lobbying.” That the warning expressed nearly a year ago was well founded is attested by the fact that our representative at the recent legislative session were, as predicted accused of having nothing constructive to offer. They were charged with beings selfish, destructive and opposed to the public welfare.
Again, from the Bulletin of King County Medical Society, Seattle, dated April 17, 1939:.
There can no longer be any doubt whatsoever that the medical profession must take steps to inform the public of its true aims and aspirations and the many things it is doing to bring about better health of the public. So many recent events have pointed to such complete misunderstanding on the part of the public and even on the part of its elected representatives that no members of the profession can now fail to see that some definite program of public education must be undertaken.
DR. Rott, in his recent address to King Country Society, clearly pointed out the necessity of undertaking a serious campaign of health education which will go a long way toward informing public of the activities of the profession in protection of health. This should become a major of the campaign but the interest of the profession should not be allowed to stop there.
Every phase of medical practice and all the various kinds of public health work must be taken before the public. They must be explained and described, not once but many times. Repeated exposition of the desires of the profession must carry to the laity the fact that the sincere aim and purpose of the medical profession is a steady improvement in the health of the public. We must take before the public at large the many advances that are constantly being made in both preventative and curative medicine.
In conducting such a campaign we shall find an audience which is most receptive and vitally interested in what we are doing. Every psychologist to knows and every physician realizes that nothing is of more interest to the individual than himself. Certainly medicine touches the individual more closely than any other human activity. It has an appeal to the average individual such as nothing else. Wise newspaper editors know this and are ready and anxious to accept stories and articles of interest in the medical field and will readily cooperate, if given fair consideration. It is even possible that opinions of editors may occasionally be private practice of medicine furnishes the best guarantee of high quality medical service.
Such a campaign of public education must be started at once and vigorously carried forward. A start has been made in many ways but efforts must be increased and the activities of a large number of individuals must be coordinated and directed so that the public will be effectively reached. But most important of all, every physician must see to it that at all times and at every opportunity he presents to his patients, friends and acquaintances the true story of the purposes of organized medicine.
My reply to this is that if organized medicine had been a success, no “isms” would be in existence.
How different is the definite law controlling the practice of homoeopathy in the cure of disease!.
THE REMEDY.
Plainly we are much in the minority, but what great movement ever started through a majority? Chest led a little band of Christians against the world, Hahnemann had the vision to lead a little band of followers against totalitarian medicine in applying the only law of cure-the Law of Similars.
There must be the fullest cooperation between the various homoeopathic organization. Essentially and fundamentally they have the same object in view-the perpetuation of homoeopathy-the teaching of homoeopathy and putting it where it belongs. This can ONLY be done by a positive, working plan.
The three requisites we MUST have for success are:.
First- a BURNING DESIRE- and it must BE a burning desire.
Second-A DEFINITE OBJECTIVE.
Third-A DEFINITE PLAN.
There should be a Consultant Committee appointed, at least a Committee of 50, covering the entire homoeopathic profession. Realizing it would be impossible for such a Consultant Committee to meet in person, an arrangement should be made for correspondence and exchange of ideas between the members of the Consultant Committee at regular stated intervals, at least once a month. More important still, it would be imperative that each of the 50 men set aside some specific time prior to such regular communicating meeting, a definite positive hour for meditation on the working out of the plan. A great man once said that he went into a dark room at a certain definite time for meditation, and his greatest inspiration came then.
Lastly, if your purpose is backed by truth, there can be no such thing as failure.
There MUST BE unification of the activities of our state, national and international associations.
The first step toward such a unification should be the appointment by our combined organizations, of a national whole- time Field Secretary, preferably an attorney, under salary, whose duties should include the organizations throughout the country of legislative committees from the various Associations, state, national and international.
There should also be created a Joint Fund for the carrying out of this plan. This fund should be created either through voluntary contributions, or through assessment of the members of our various organizations, banded together in a common cause. Just recently the State (Allopathic) Medical Society of the State of California has assessed each of its members 10.00 dollars for medical legislation.
STATE AND NATIONAL LEGISLATION.
There should be well organized legislative committees. Competently trained to combat unfair, and to promulgate fair, homoeopathic legislation at the state and national legislative assemblies. There are, at the present time, approximately twenty states in the Union with adequate or independent examining boards, leaving twenty-eight states in need of immediate legislation for the protection of homoeopathic interests. In practically all of these twenty-eight states every homoeopathic applicant is compelled to take the state allopathic examination before he is admitted to practice homoeopathy, which not only works a hardship upon the applicant but also prejudices the examiner, if the identity of the applicant as a homoeopathy becomes known.
ORGANIZE OUR WOMEN.
Our lay women and wives should be further organized to assist in proper and ethical press committees in each city, and through such organization assist in legislative activities in publicity.
Seattle.
Chairman, Bureau of Surgery