History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

392 History of Medical Practice in Illinoislegislation that was before the House. Accordingly I wrote to Harry E.Pratt, the State Historian at Springfield, to inquire if such informationcould be unearthed. At his request the archivist, Margaret C. Norton, ofthe Illinois State Historical Library looked into the records of the27thGeneral Assembly, 1871-72. She reported that Dr. Daggett introduced onlyNo. 457, entitled "For an Act concerning the qualification andone bill:cause of challenge of jurors in criminal cases." 38 Two bills relating tomedicine were introduced in the same session: Senate Bills 67 and 375,neither of which passed. The first of these (SB 67), entitled: An Act topromote the science of medicine and surgery" was referred to a specialcommittee of which Senator Daggett was a member. This committee recommendedthat the bill be tabled, which was done. How much influence Dr.Daggett may have had in this matter the records do not indicate. 39 The38 Section I: Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois represented in the GeneralAssemblyThat it shall not be sufficient cause of challenge of a personotherwise duly qualified, called as a juror in a criminal case that such person has read orheard anything in regard to the facts or circumstances of the case, or formed or expressedan opinion in regard to the guilt or innocense of the accused, if it shall appear to thesatisfaction of the court upon his examination under oath, that such person will trulyand impartially try the case upon the evidence that shall be given to the jury; and atrue verdict render, according to law, without being influenced or biased in his findingby anything which he may have read or heard or by his opinion previously formedor expressed.39One of the remonstrances of the bill reads as follows:REMONSTRANCETO the Honorable, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Illinois:The undersigned citizens of the State of Illinois observe with alarm that a Bill has beenintroduced before your Honorable Body, entitled:—"An Act to Protect the People ofIllinois from Empiricism and Imposture in the Practice of Medicine and Surgery."WE most respectfully, but urgently, remonstrate against the enactment of any suchlaw, curtailing the natural rights and free exercise of private judgment of every citizenof the State of Illinois, in regard to the system of medical treatment that he or she willadopt for the restoration of impaired health, for the following among many other reasonsthat might be enumerated, viz:—First, The most full and free exercise of conscience and private judgment in the treatmentof disease, as well as in religious toleration, should not be infringed upon by legalenactments.Second, There is no one system of medical practice which is not most emphaticallycondemned, as resting upon a false basis, and injurious to health, by other schools ofpractice, equally popular in the estimation of the most intelligent citizens of the Stateof Illinois, consequently there is no one or more well-known systems or bases of practicewhich the General Assembly can legislate in favor of, without doing violence to thesacred rights of private opinions and conscientious scruples of a large class of citizens.Third, We remonstrate against legislation when a discrimination is made in behalf ofpopular schools that have the power of conferring Diplomas or granting certificates (asis too often the case) to individuals of no intrinsic worth, moral or intellectual but whoare often a disgrace to society.Fourth, Experience has demonstrated that all systems or schools of medicine whichyou are now asked to legislate in favor of, were, at some former period, held as wantingin all the essentials necessary for recognition as correct medical practice. What spirit