LEGALLY UNQUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1865, 19 August 1887, Page 22

LEGALLY UNQUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS.

SOME STRANGE REVELATIONS.

Very peculiar revelations appear to have been made before the select committee of the Legislative Council of New South Wales by those legally unqualified practitioners who have been examined. The papers containing full particulars are not to hand, but in the Daily Telegraph of the Bth in6t. appears portion of the evidence given by some of the less "prominent men" in which are included some names known in New Zealand. It appears that Dr Perry, in his evidence, stated that two brothers, now supposed to be in Victoria, had secured his services to see patients and prescribe, while they made up medicines. Dr Perry deposed that he very soon discovered that they were "an organised band of swindlers." He therefore left them, and gave information to the police. Witness found that the firm was not even satisfied with curing patients, but would subsequently send them' medicines to make them ill again.

JOHN O3ESAR LUBIENSKI.

This witness, who has resided in Sydney 11 years, is at present a publican in Goulburn street, having given up the practice of medicine some months ago, when he made enough money to buy*. the hotel. He described himself as a Polish nobleman ; had studied medicine for two

years in 'Warsaw,' where he took the degree of bachelor of arts ; had been assistant to Dr Hanson in New Zealand and subsequently his partner, While practising in Sydney he was doing a business worth £1500 a year. How he came to give up this lucrative profession is thus explained by himself :— - f , ; Why did you give it up ?— -Because 1 am a gentleman, and it is not my calling, and as soon as I had enough money to go into another business I gave it up. /

You wanted something more decent and respectable, and therefore you went into a publichouse? — I beg your pardon, not more decent and respectable.

More remunerative — did it pay better ?— No ; my present business is not so remunerative. I give advice in medicine gratis now.

OTTO BEENABDO HUG.

Hug is a " medical clairvoyant." He disclaims being a medical practitioner. He diagnoses cases as a clairvoyant, and tells people what is wrong with them. He thinks it is more power than knowledge; not any supernatural power, but the law of nature. He says :— " Idp not make any charge for diagnosing. In New Zealand I charged 10s 6d, because I had the right to charge there, but since I have been here it is understood by the people that they pay 10s 6d before they come into the room, but I do not charge for diagnosing. I am perfectly unconscious, and everything is written down on a paper. I write it down myself during sleep ; the book is in front of me, and I make notes, and I afterwards know exactly how the case stands. lam subject to cataleptic fits. I had some very severe ones in' New Zealand, and several doctors attended me."

OTHER CASES.

" Dr " Hood says he " thinks" he is nearly 'Bo years of age ; is a medical practitioner, and says he has lived by the practice of medicine for 52 years. He has had no medical training other than that picked up in practice. It came out in evidence before the committee that a man named Burt went to lodge at Hood's in February last. Hood told him that he was suffering from diabetes, and while Burt was under the influence of drink he was' induced to give up his watch and to enter into an engagement to pay £30 medical fees. Legal proceedings followed, when Hood was ordered to restore the watch, and the court upheld Burt's refusal to acknowledge his signature to the promissory note. Burt swore in his evidence before the committee: "As far as I can recollect, I got one dose of medicine from Hood, and if I had taken a second I would not be before this committee now."

George Henry Bethel was formerly a machinist in the Government Printing office. He has been practising medicine for 25 years. While in the Government service he used to practise aftier business hours, but in 1882, in consequence of failing eyesight, he left the Government Printing office. He then commenced business as a homeopathic medical practitioner, and still continues to practice. His medical knowledge has been derived from books and some little teaching from medical men, principally a Dr Bellamy, who died about 20 years ago. Nathaniel Paul Allison's medical training has been limited to his experience as assistant to a Dr Boyd, and whatever he may have read on the subject, together with some tuition which he has received from his father, who was formerly inspector of scab in Tasmania, and who, although not a qualified practitioner, was said to have practised medicine by request nearly all his life. Allison, calls himself "Professor," and claims to be a specialist. Previously to taking to medicine he was clerk in a newspaper office, and then chainman to a surveyor. William Charles Crump described himself as a medical herbalist and electrician. By the letters M.B. he meant, he said, " Medical Botonist," and was unaware that they were generally understood by the public to mean Bachelor of Medicine, otherwise, he said, he would never have used them. , He admitted having had no medical training at all, and said that he does not attempt to treat many cases which are beyond his capacity.

Thomas M'Creery stated that he had practised being' a herbalist off and on for 20 years. He had been assistant in a shop at Glasgow, but was a furniture dealer in Sydney, and failing, took to the business of medicine. He had studied anatomy sligboly, but it was not from books. He had never directed nor attended lectures on physiology or pathology, and had never received clinical instruction, nor did he ever attend a post mortem examination. He had absolutely cured^ a case of cancer, and in replying to ! a question as to what particular drug he used, he said^ brewer's yeast was one, and with diluted acetic acid, was the principal. He went on the assumption that it was cancer as the patient had been to another doctor and he said it was cancer.