OSTEOPATHY PRACTITIONERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 March 1943, Page 8

OSTEOPATHY PRACTITIONERS

REGISTRATION PROPOSED

WELLINGTON,. March 2.

A move for the registration of osteopaths in the Dominion is contained in a private bill the Osteopathic: Practitioners’ Bill, introduced m the Bouse yesterday by Mr. R. McKeen (Govt. Wellington, East), who said that at present, there was only one qualified osteopathic practitioner in the Dominion, a young Now Zealander, who had studied and obtained high qualifications in the United States.

Osteopaths, said Mr. McKeen, were required to attain even higher qualifications than many registered medical practitioners, and there was little chance of attracting young people into the profession unless those who qualified were given some legal standing. The Bill included a number of machinery clauses from the Medical Practitioners’ Act. It provided for the registration of osteopathic practitioners, defined their training before registration, prevented unauthorised persons practising osteopathy, and gave registered osteopaths the same right of practice as registered medical practitioners. Mr. McKeen claimed that osteopathy was not a system of quackery, but was a highly specialised profession. Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Independent Nat. Riccarton) said that he would like to warn Members about giving consideration to a measure such as that which was being introduced. Osteopathy might be common in the United States, but he hoped that we would never get it in New Zealand. 'With so many of our medical men absent, giving splendid service overseas, this was not the time, he thought lor the introduction of such a measure. The Bill would give recognition to gentlemen who occupied a position ol quackery. People had to be protected from their own gullibility, and we also hud to safeguard the interests of our young people, who were studying medicine. Di-. D. G. McMillan (Govt. Dunedin West) expressed the opinion that thy Bill would go to the Health Committee of the House, and that n-jiliinc much more would be heard

Mr. Clyde Cai r (Govt. Timaru), urged dial Members should keep an op -n mind on the subject. Mr. L'i-asi-r said that a Hill of Ibis Liiid <!e.cr\-ed a Lair run. lie knew Ll.a yiiiin:’, osteopath mentioned by Mr Mi-lvecn, and he could sa.y that there was not a 1 race of chai'la Lun ism about him. He hud discussed the matter with doctors and members of the B.M.A. and he had not found any hostility to osteopathy. Mr. F. W. Schramm (Govt. Auckland East) said that anyone with anything to offer suffering humanity should be given a trial and hearing. “Let us judge the Bill on its merits,’ he said. , , , The Bill was introduced, read a first time and also a second time pro forma, and was referred to the Health Committee.