Article March 15, 1913 Issue

Whether or not the Owen bill for a federal medical bureau...

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Whether or not the Owen bill for a federal medical bureau would result in officializing nation-wide the "regular" medical cult, that impression has at any rate been created by the American association of the cult, or some of its dashing leaders. They have made the impression almost indelible. Their original purpose, manifestly, was to establish a medical department with a "regular" cult seat in the Presidential cabinet. This would have resulted from the original Owen bill almost as a matter of course. While it doubtless was not Senator Owen's intention, it clearly was the intention of the head-centers of that medical cult which for nearly a quarter of a century has been trying to secure this result. Senator Owen has made radical modifications in his original bill. Among other things, he has reduced the proposed department to a bureau. But though this may shatter the medical-trust vase, its odors cling. There is not indeed much of a shattering in so far as the cabinet seat is concerned; for the proposed bureau is to be independent, and from an independent bureau to a department would be the easiest possible parliamentary step, the bureau being once organized. Whether the "regulars" could control either department or bureau would depend upon circumstances over which the politicians of their cult would probably have more influence than anybody else. The opposition of the medical freedom people is therefore worthy of encouragement; and the pronounced vote against the bill last week by the Woman's Club of Chicago, after heroic efforts by masculine "regulars" to secure a contrary vote, is a warning voice of which we may hope to hear many echoes.

Federal sanitary supervision we should certainly have. There are many reasons for it. But we already have an excellent non-partizan and non-culty system, if Judson Welliver in the January Munsey's may be trusted. If, however, any new system is to be established, it should not be at the behest of the politicians of one medical cult. That cult has a perfect right to make hard and fast rules for its own adherents; but if it would clothe sanitary science with the authority of federal law, it must broaden its phylacteries. While it may prohibit members from consulting professionally with heterodox practitioners where nothing but a sick man's comfort or life is involved, it must not be allowed to dictate federal laws. If its solicitude for federal legislation is broadly genuine and not of the cult, it will invite conference and cooperation from all who have or claim to have sanitary knowledge.

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