DISMISSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 151, 27 June 1940, Page 9

DISMISSED.

P. H. MEULI'S APPEAL

"ENDOCRINOLOGIST."

MEDICAL SKILL IMPLIED. Reserved judgment was given by Mr. Justice Blair in the Supreme Court today dismissing the appeal by Perry Hubert Meuli (Mr. Bainbridge) against a decision in the Magistrate's Court convicting him of a breach of Section 23 of the Medical Practitioners Act in that, not being registered under that Act, he practised a branch of medicine or surgery under a name or title implying that lie held a diploma or degree in a branch of medicine or surgery, or was otherwise specially qualified to practise medicine or surgery.

His Honor said the evidence showed that appellant'held himself out as an "endocrinologist," and practised in rooms on which were, door plates inscribed: '[Endocrinologist, glands, nerves, mental disorders,' , and "Psycho-analyst, endocrinologist, mind, nerves and glands." It was also shown that he hnd treated one patient, a woman, and had charged her £7 7/. It was admitted that appellant was not a registered meflical practitioner, and that he did not hold a degree or diploma of medicine or surgery. Further, so far as appeared in the case, he had not any special qualification in any branch of medicine or surgery. ' "High-sounding Vocable." After traversing the authorities cited by Mr. Bainbridge for appellant, and by Mr. G. S, R. Meredith for the Crown, at the hearing on June 18, his Honor said an unregistered person was not forbidden to use any high-sounding vocwble to designate his business, but if heselected a term which iiniplied special qualification for a branch of medicine then ho was brought within the mischief aimed at by the section. The appellant in this caso selected as his particular qualification the term "endocrinologist," followed by the explanatory words "glands, nerves, mental disorders." Gould's medical dictionary (1035) defined "endocrinology" as the study of endocrinous glands and their secretions, and also the study generally of internal secretions. Dr. Giliuour gave evidence that the study of such glands was a branch of medicine, and he would understand the term "endocrinologist ,, us

1 meaning a person already possessed of a wide knowledge of medicine. He said ho knew of no medical practitioner in New Zealand or England who held himself out as mi endocrinologist, but thought that in some of the larger ■hospitals in America some did so. "Impressing the Public." It was clear, added his Honor, that' for the last 18 years or so knowledge of the science of endocrinology had so increased that it was now a well recognised branch of the science of medicine. Unquestionably, therefore, that science was "a branch of medicine" within section 23 of the Act. The itse of such a term, if it did not actually convey the meaning of the possession of a diploma in that science, certainly did imply that the appellant was specially qualified to practice that branch of medicine, and thus was within tho precise words of the concluding part of section 23. "In my view it was for the purpose of impressing the public that the appellant selected the term. . . . The mere fact that only a limited number of persons is aware of the meaning of the word does not afford an excuse for using it. There are quite a few terms used to describe specialists in certain branches of medicine or surgery which are not understood by the lay public. The words 'pathologist.' 'neurologist,' 'urologist, , or 'rhinologist' arc instances of such. . . . The word 'endocrinologist' is a term applicable to one specially qualified in knowledge of the internal glande of the body and their functions, and in the treatment of disorders arising from the want of proper functioning of those glands. The appeal is dismissed, with £7 7/ costs."