History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

History of Anatomy Laws in Illinois 393second Senate Bill, numbered 375, "An Act requiring physicians and surgeonspracticing in this state to register, and prescribing penalties forviolation of this Act" was also defeated in the Senate. The archivist haswritten to me further as follows: "We have compared the original bills forsimilar acts in the next few sessions with Daggett's handwriting and seehave the old schools ever manifested toward the founders of any new principle? Do theold schools examine the new systems, and render to the public an impartial verdict? No;the bitterest denunciations, and the most partial and violent criticisms, constantly emanatefrom the various distinguished professors. Thus was Harvey honored for his discoveryof the circulation of the blood. Thus was treated Dr. Jenner, for introducing thesystem of vaccination for small-pox. Thus was Hahnemann anathematized for leavingold paths to explore and reveal the beauties and mysteries of Homeopathy.If they have, by lapse of time and experience, become popular, and are now recognizedas an improvement upon old systems, why may not new systems, with fair play and equalprivileges, under a republican form of government, in this progressive age, in time becomeequally efficient, and capable of sustaining colleges and schools for public instruction,and take the place of the most popular practices of the present day? Why, then,fine and imprison the far-seeing men who are now laying the foundation for such improvementsin the healing art? Why not allow the people in their sovereign rights tojudge this matter, as well as in other matters of conscience? The Nazarene was accusedand crucified, because, among other things, he healed the sick contrary to the practicesof the regular schools and the laws of the Hebrews, and without asking a Diploma fromthe Scribes and Pharisees.Almost nineteen hundred years have elapsed, and it is now proposed by the same class,the "Doctors," who were so anxious in those days "to protect the people from Empiricismand imposition," to do the same thing for the people of the State of Illinois, by the mildermeans of imprisonment, fine, and inability to collect pay for services!We beg leave to suggest to your Honorable Body that the execution of such laws wouldbe impracticable as well as unjust. While a practitioner in one locality would be sufficientlypopular to obtain the necessary Diploma or certificate to save himself from fineand imprisonment, and yet, while in other localities the same individual could not, butwould be amenable to all the penalties it is proposed that you shall prescribe. The wisestmen the world has ever produced in the healing art, ever have and ever will protestagainst such legislation.Dr. Benjamin Rush, who stood at the head of the profession in Philadelphia for manyyears, declared in one of his public lectures as follows: "I am incessantly led to makeapology for the instability of the theory and practice of physic, and those physiciansgenerally become the most prominent who have the most thoroughly emancipated themselvesfrom the tyranny of the schools of physic. Dissections daily convince us of ourignorance of disease, and cause us to blush at our prescriptions. What mischief have wedone, under the belief of false faces and false theories. We have assisted in multiplyingdiseases; we have done more—we have increased their mortality. The art of healing islike an unroofed temple, uncovered at the top and cracked at the foundation."We could respectfully suggest to the legislators of the State of Illinois that it will betime enough to bring forward such a measure when men of the best judgment and highestattainments in the science and art of medicine will come to some understanding as tothe principle or system by which the public will be treated when sick. At present thefact is patent, that the most eminent Doctors in the State are practicing on systems diametricallyopposite, each believing and declaring that the others are killing their patients.In view of the forgoing facts, together with thousands of others which will readily occurto the mind of each individual legislator, in regard to the injustice of such aggressionupon individual rights, and the impracticability of executing any such law, we mostrespectfully protest against the enactment of any law upon the subject, and, as in dutybound, will ever remonstrate.