QUACKERY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 28 March 1936, Page 4

QUACKERY

ELIMINATION METHODS LEGISLATIVE ACTION ADVOCATED Co-oj)*-. 4 ion between the Governments, Hie medical profession, and the public, with a view to eliminating quackery, is advocated in a leading article in the current issue of the "Medical Journal of Australia.” After discussing the attitude of overseas !countries toward lay treatment of disease, the article concludes: “If char, latanism is to be defeated m Australia, if the people arc to be turned from the worship of false gods, the State and the medical profession must work together to that end. The Slate must protect the people from their own foolishness. In the Federal Capital .territory a medical Act has been proclaimed that is complete and ideal in As prosscriplion of medical treatment by unauthorised persons. II such an Act was adopted by the several States of the Commonwealth and it, being adopted, was administered without fear ot favour, a great deal ol tin- charlatanry that is rampant might be checked. Even if flic Slate, Governments were courageous enough to do this a. certain amount of charlantanry would stiil be undiscovered; it would remain to be seen whether the people of Australia, in the face of courageous Government action, would be different from the people of other lands. ‘‘.Possibly most hope lies with the medical profession. In the first place medical knowledge must be. extended and therapeutic weapons must be ren, derod more efficient In the second place the standard of medical training must be kept at a high level, aiid medical training must include training in psychology. both theoretical and practical. Tn (he third place the medical profession must see that provision :s made for every member of (lie community to receive adequate preventive and curative treatment. One last proviso remains: Medical practitioners must set their faces against everything in their own practices that savours of quackery; I here must be no cant, no hypocrisy, no unnecessary treatment, no use oi elaborate methods when simple methods will suffice.”