PRACTICE OF OSTEOPATHY

Southland Times, Issue 24996, 8 March 1943, Page 4

PRACTICE OF OSTEOPATHY

Recognition Refused In Britain (Special) AUCKLAND, March 6. The private member’s Bill introduced into Parliament for the registration and control of osteopathic practitioners in New Zealand has precedents in many American States and most of Canada, but a proposal of the same kind was rejected in Great Britain as the result of an adverse report by a Select Committee of the House of Lords in July 1935.

Osteopathy is a system of health and healing originated in America by Andrew T. Still, who, after a search for curative methods other than medicine, formulated certain principles in 1874. The system, according to its advocates, is founded on the theory that the body is a vital machine which will make the remedies necessary to protect _ itself against disease so long as it is in correct mechanical adjustment. Treatment consists largely in dealing with “lesions” by manipulative methods, but much stress is laid upon maintaining a good physical and mental environment by hygiene, diet and otherwise. CLAIMS NOT ESTABLISHED The House of Lords committee, after examining 20 witnesses, recommended that the Bill be not permitted to proceed, and stated that the supporters of the measure had desired to withdraw it before all the witnesses in opposition had been heard. The committee held that no. satisfactory definition of osteopathy had been submitted, that the claim of osteopaths to be able to treat all diseases had not been established and that none of the three conditions of State registration of a vocation had been satisfied. These were: (1) That its sphere of operation could be defined; (2) that the vocation had been long in general use; and (3) that there was already in existence a well-established and efficient system of voluntary examination and training. APPEAL FOR FUNDS The committee declined to accept American training as sufficient for the purpose and said that no evidence had been offered about it. To grant registration as asked would not be safe or proper. An appeal for £575,000 for the establishment of an osteopathic college, hospital and research institution in London was launched in November 1937 with the object of satisfying the House of Lords committee’s requirements, but how far it succeeded is difficult to ascertain. In February 1939 a voluntary and entirely unofficial register of trained and duly examined practioners was opened by the osteopathic organizations in Britain.