14 DECEMBER 1934, Page 3

The Osteopaths Bill .

The House of Lords, having given a second reading' to Viscount Elibank's Osteopaths Bill, took the sensible course °t€ insisting on- referring the measure to a Select Committee with power to call witnesses. - There are some defects in this Bill. It perhaps- confers excessive powers on osteopaths. But it offers 'no less than justice to practising osteopaths and protection to the public against • quacks by providing for the. registration of qualified persons. It is not suggested that by recognizing and registering osteopaths they should be given a status comparable with that of doctors. An- osteopath who is not a qualified doctor is no more likely to be mistaken for such than a dentist and an osteopaths' • register need never be-confused-with the Medical Register. The medical profession ought to be in a• position to make the fullest use of the-services of manipulative experts in cases where they may be deemed appropriate.

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