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THE REGISTRATION OF OSTEOPATHS
976
CORRESPONDENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE AT THE NEW POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL
of THE SIR,-Though increasing public To the
Editor
LANCET
and professional interest in the British Post-Graduate Medical School is becoming evident, no reference whatever, so far as I am aware, has been made to the place, if any, that the teaching of psychological medicine is to have in this new organisation. If the tributes to the " importance of the psychological factor in medicine," and the endless variations on that theme, which have flooded the lay and medical press of recent years, have any meaning at all, then it is surely beyond serious question that some sane teaching on the elements of psychological medicine would be of more real help to the general practitioner, and would do more to increase his efficiency in his daily work, than any " refresher " course in medicine, surgery, or obstetrics that could possibly be devised. Here, in short, is a unique opportunity to translate lip-service to an ideal into practical effort to realise it. I think that those whom the teaching activities of the medical school are intended to benefit have the right, and indeed the duty, of expressing themselves on the subject, and that their views would afford most interesting and helpful information. I suggest therefore that it would not be the least of THE LANCET’S services to the profession, were you to invite practitioners likely to avail themselves of the medical school’s teaching to state their opinions on this matter in your columns. To avoid possible misunderstanding and the raising of side issues I should add that although the teaching I have referred to would be eminently practical, and in the truest sense clinical, it is not for a moment suggested that there should be in-patients for demonstration. Out-patients from elsewhere could doubtless attend if required, but, in my view, we have a long way to go before even this would be I am, Sir, yours faithfully, essential. Harley-street, W., April 30th. HENRY YELLOWLEES. THE REGISTRATION OF OSTEOPATHS
To the Editor
SiR,-The second
of THE LANCET reading of the Osteopaths’
Registration Bill is entered upon the order paper for Wednesday, May 2nd. I have put down a motion for its rejection which will at any rate prevent its going through without opposition. The Bill, presented for the second time, retains the two most mischievous provisions of the first Bill, and upon them I ask leave to comment. 1. The Bill seeks to legalise complete equality of opportunity with the medical profession in the treatment of disease in general without equality of preparation. 2. It seeks to confer upon holders of foreign certificates of competence exactly the same privileges as upon holders of British certificates, without their fitness being tested otherwise than by the presentation of that foreign certificate. The Bill has the support of an organisation calling itself the " British Osteopathic Association." The sole qualification for its assumption of the title British " is that it operates in this country. It has been described by a past-president as " a body which represents fully-trained osteopaths who have received their qualifications in one or another of the recognised "
colleges of osteopathy
in the United States."
(The
italics are mine.-E. G.-L.) The British Osteopathic Association refuses to recognise the British School of that school has been operating as the Dean of the School, in a plaintive letter to the Times of Nov. 6th last declared, has followed the pure doctrine of the founder of osteopathy, A. T. Still, as expounded some 50 years ago. The present Bill may therefore be quite accurately described as a very impudent attempt to establish a monopoly in this country for the American colleges. I am glad to think that it is this aspect of the Bill which will secure its defeat in the House of Commons. Mr. Neville Chamberlain, then Minister of Health, speaking in the debate in the House of Commons upon a similar demand (Hansard, Feb. 9th, 1926), said: " You would be put in this position, that you would have to fall back upon the diplomas which have been given by American colleges, over whose curricula nobody in this country has any control whatsoever. I think the House will agree that to ask us in this country to accept diplomas from another country, into the value of which we really could not pretend to examine, and over the qualifications for which we have no control, is really not a practicable proposition." It will be seen that Mr. Chamberlain used the word " American " and not "foreign," and this use is justified by the fact that the demand comes entirely from holders of American certificates. Mr. Chamberlain in the same debate threw out the hint that the first step for osteopaths wishing to legalise osteopathic practice in this country was to start colleges of their own which would ultimately give these diplomas, and he prophesied that " the curriculum of these colleges would gradually have to conform to something very nearly approaching the normal (medical) curriculum in this country.... The more that is the case, the more easy it will be to form a register, if they still desire to have one." In an address at the Royal Institute of Public Health, Oct. 9th, 1933, I suggested that the reform of the medical curriculum, long overdue, might and probably would result in a much modified minimal course which would admit to registration and which would secure a measure of instruction in medicine, render the registered surgery, and midwiferythatwould " person a " safe practitioner. The shortening of the course to four years, as suggested in my address, would allow of the provision that every person seeking to practice the healing art should take this minimal training, and the osteopathic aspirant should go through this training, with perhaps some minor modifications, on the analogy of the qualification now exacted for dental students, which is also a four years’ course. I am convinced that it is on these lines only that a Bill for the registration of osteopaths has any chance of passing the House of Commons. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, E. GRAHAM-LITTLE. April 30th.
Osteopathy, although
in this
country for 17 years, and
TESTS FOR MOTOR DRIVERS To the Editor
of
THE LANCET
SiR,-The editorial article in your last issue
con-
the driving tests carried out by the National Institute of Industrial Psychology interests me particularly, as recently I submitted myself to those tests on behalf of the business concern to which I am medical officer and whose numerous motor drivers I examine. Like your medical representative, who
cerning
CORRESPONDENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE AT THE NEW POST-GRADUATE SCHOOL
of THE SIR,-Though increasing public To the
Editor
LANCET
and professional interest in the British Post-Graduate Medical School is becoming evident, no reference whatever, so far as I am aware, has been made to the place, if any, that the teaching of psychological medicine is to have in this new organisation. If the tributes to the " importance of the psychological factor in medicine," and the endless variations on that theme, which have flooded the lay and medical press of recent years, have any meaning at all, then it is surely beyond serious question that some sane teaching on the elements of psychological medicine would be of more real help to the general practitioner, and would do more to increase his efficiency in his daily work, than any " refresher " course in medicine, surgery, or obstetrics that could possibly be devised. Here, in short, is a unique opportunity to translate lip-service to an ideal into practical effort to realise it. I think that those whom the teaching activities of the medical school are intended to benefit have the right, and indeed the duty, of expressing themselves on the subject, and that their views would afford most interesting and helpful information. I suggest therefore that it would not be the least of THE LANCET’S services to the profession, were you to invite practitioners likely to avail themselves of the medical school’s teaching to state their opinions on this matter in your columns. To avoid possible misunderstanding and the raising of side issues I should add that although the teaching I have referred to would be eminently practical, and in the truest sense clinical, it is not for a moment suggested that there should be in-patients for demonstration. Out-patients from elsewhere could doubtless attend if required, but, in my view, we have a long way to go before even this would be I am, Sir, yours faithfully, essential. Harley-street, W., April 30th. HENRY YELLOWLEES. THE REGISTRATION OF OSTEOPATHS
To the Editor
SiR,-The second
of THE LANCET reading of the Osteopaths’
Registration Bill is entered upon the order paper for Wednesday, May 2nd. I have put down a motion for its rejection which will at any rate prevent its going through without opposition. The Bill, presented for the second time, retains the two most mischievous provisions of the first Bill, and upon them I ask leave to comment. 1. The Bill seeks to legalise complete equality of opportunity with the medical profession in the treatment of disease in general without equality of preparation. 2. It seeks to confer upon holders of foreign certificates of competence exactly the same privileges as upon holders of British certificates, without their fitness being tested otherwise than by the presentation of that foreign certificate. The Bill has the support of an organisation calling itself the " British Osteopathic Association." The sole qualification for its assumption of the title British " is that it operates in this country. It has been described by a past-president as " a body which represents fully-trained osteopaths who have received their qualifications in one or another of the recognised "
colleges of osteopathy
in the United States."
(The
italics are mine.-E. G.-L.) The British Osteopathic Association refuses to recognise the British School of that school has been operating as the Dean of the School, in a plaintive letter to the Times of Nov. 6th last declared, has followed the pure doctrine of the founder of osteopathy, A. T. Still, as expounded some 50 years ago. The present Bill may therefore be quite accurately described as a very impudent attempt to establish a monopoly in this country for the American colleges. I am glad to think that it is this aspect of the Bill which will secure its defeat in the House of Commons. Mr. Neville Chamberlain, then Minister of Health, speaking in the debate in the House of Commons upon a similar demand (Hansard, Feb. 9th, 1926), said: " You would be put in this position, that you would have to fall back upon the diplomas which have been given by American colleges, over whose curricula nobody in this country has any control whatsoever. I think the House will agree that to ask us in this country to accept diplomas from another country, into the value of which we really could not pretend to examine, and over the qualifications for which we have no control, is really not a practicable proposition." It will be seen that Mr. Chamberlain used the word " American " and not "foreign," and this use is justified by the fact that the demand comes entirely from holders of American certificates. Mr. Chamberlain in the same debate threw out the hint that the first step for osteopaths wishing to legalise osteopathic practice in this country was to start colleges of their own which would ultimately give these diplomas, and he prophesied that " the curriculum of these colleges would gradually have to conform to something very nearly approaching the normal (medical) curriculum in this country.... The more that is the case, the more easy it will be to form a register, if they still desire to have one." In an address at the Royal Institute of Public Health, Oct. 9th, 1933, I suggested that the reform of the medical curriculum, long overdue, might and probably would result in a much modified minimal course which would admit to registration and which would secure a measure of instruction in medicine, render the registered surgery, and midwiferythatwould " person a " safe practitioner. The shortening of the course to four years, as suggested in my address, would allow of the provision that every person seeking to practice the healing art should take this minimal training, and the osteopathic aspirant should go through this training, with perhaps some minor modifications, on the analogy of the qualification now exacted for dental students, which is also a four years’ course. I am convinced that it is on these lines only that a Bill for the registration of osteopaths has any chance of passing the House of Commons. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, E. GRAHAM-LITTLE. April 30th.
Osteopathy, although
in this
country for 17 years, and
TESTS FOR MOTOR DRIVERS To the Editor
of
THE LANCET
SiR,-The editorial article in your last issue
con-
the driving tests carried out by the National Institute of Industrial Psychology interests me particularly, as recently I submitted myself to those tests on behalf of the business concern to which I am medical officer and whose numerous motor drivers I examine. Like your medical representative, who
cerning