LORD DAWSON AND OSTEOPATHS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19761, 12 April 1926, Page 11

LORD DAWSON AND OSTEOPATHS.

DEFENCE OF MEDICAL DISCIPLINE. (F.bom Oub Own Coekesponebkt.J LONDON, February 26. Lord Dawson of Pern addressed a Is.rga number of members of both Houses of Parliament in a committee room of the House of Commons on the question of the medical profession and osteopathy Professional men, he said, did not like a man who thought he had made a discovery keeping it to himself, and if a man linked such secrecy with gain the medical men claimed the right to cast him ont from among them, especially if they were successful. Medical men gave something of their time to the public good and were quixotic enough to inculcate principle* of health, which, if they were carried out, would go far to destroy their practices. In short, they were no; bad Socialists —they were doers, not preachers of words. Controversy had tamed on the General Medical Council, the grievances of Sir Herbert Barker and Dr Arhera, and the attitude of the medical profession towards unqualified practice. He laid down two guiding- principles; the good of the public should ever be the over-riding consideration and the medical profession should make use of knowledge in whatever quarter it could be found. NEED FOR TRAINING. The necessary preliminary to the treatment of disease was a knowledge of it* nature—of its causes and it* diagnosis. To get that knowledge of disease which must precede treatment, there must be a careful organised training. Once a doctor had his training he had free rein for hi* gifts and predilections whether he be a homoeopath, asteopath, cr healer. If the osteopaths wish to further their cause let them select able students and put them into the medical faculty of ths university, and after they were trained let their trained men espouss the cause of osteopathy. Truth would then win. . _ “The-e is a place,” Lord Dawson ssia, “for the gifted finger* of the bone-setter and the osteopath, for the delicate touch of tha masseur; for the spiritual aid of the healer and the Christian Scientist; for the highly skilled operator with rays—to all in their proper sphere welcome! I would seek the aid of any of them if 1 could thereby help patients, but to do good all methods 01 treatment must be conducted under general medical guidance. NARROW IS THE WAT.” “Although the medical profession must, and does, hive an open mind for all new means and methods, it has to protect tha public from exploitation by stunts and fancies. These rise and set in steady succession, 'ach one comes and gees in spite of previous failures, and there is th* same light-hearted irresponsible advocacy of this remedy or that. Please always distrust wonder working and short-cuts. ‘Narrow is the way’ is as true of for knowledge as for salvation. Whether you agree with us or not, do believe tnat we are actuated by singleness of purpose, and that we try to keep aglow the lamps ol science and service to lighten the path ot public welfare." , ,■* A followed th© lecture, and it was elicited that Lord Dawson saw no_ objection to an unqualified man acting witn a qualified practitioner, so long as the latter was in charge and the case had been submitted to trained diagnosis. He had no prejudice against a properly constituted Court of Appeal from the General Medusa. Council.