NOT WANTED

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 17, 14 October 1927, Page 6

NOT WANTED

CHIROPRACTIC IN HOSPITAL

PERMISSION REFUSED AT PALMERSTON

Palmerston North, October 13;

The merits or otherwise of that new branch of curative science which is known as chiropractic were rather heatedly discussed at a meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board to-day, when it was suggested that, with the permission of the medical, superintendent, any patient should be allowed to obtain the services of a chiropractor should he desire to do so. A motion to this effect was moved by Mr. F. J. Ryder, but subsequent to the medical superintendent stating . that he would never give his consent to such a departure, the motion lapsed unseconded. In pointing out that Mr. Ryder had given notice of his intention to move a motion which had as its object the introduction of. chiropractic into the hospital,, the chairman (Sir James Wilson) , expressed the opinion that the board did not have the power to consider such a motion. The Government had laid it down that no one who had not.gone through, a lengthy course of training, and, who had not qualified as a medical practitioner, could be allowed to .practise in a hospital. Sir James Wilson quoted the Act governing such matters, stressing,those portions which dealt with the qualification ' necessary to anyone who wished to practise in a public hospital. ■ "I confess that I was weak,”, remarked the chairman, “in allowing Mr. Ryder to bring the matter up. It was out of sympathy to Mr. Ryder that I did so, but I do not think that the matters should be considered. We have honorary surgeons and honorary physicians,■ and these men are all fully qualified. Were we to introduce chiropractic into the hospital there is nothing surer that many of our honorary staff would leave altogether.” “No Basis of Truth.” The medical superintendent of the hospital (Dr. F. G. Ward) pointed out that the motion gave him the power to refuse permission to the practice of chiropractic in the hospital. He declared that he would never give his permission to any patient getting the , services of a chiropractor. Chiropractic had not even a basis of truth to work on. If he were a believer in chiropractic, he would be a chiropractor himself, but he knew too much about the science ever to be a believer in it. Going on to. deal with some of the main tenets of chiropractic, the superintendent pointed out that work had been done in connection with it all over the world, in particular in America, and yet there had never yet been found any fact of anatomy which supported the main belief of chiropractic. Dr. Ward further remarked that he had consulted with members of the honorary staff in regard to the question, and he had found that not a single one of them would associate himself with chiropractic. Medical men , by the social ethics drawn up by the medical council, were not allowed to work with chiropractors. If thev did. they would be struck off the rolls. In any case, said the doctor, he would never give his permission to the introduction of chircpractic into the hospital.. ■■ After further discussion, in which Mr. Ryder first of all expressed his intention of carrying on with his motion, it was decided to take the opinion of the meeting as to whethe this should be done. Those present voted adversely to the mover of the motion, and the matter was allowed to .drop.