THE RECOGNITION OF OSTEOPATHS [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—May I point out the implications of your advocacy Of the recognition of osteopaths ? In your Editorial Note you state that a Bill is before Parliament to give osteopaths— that is, "specialists in adjustments in the human skeleton "- a legal status similar to that of doctors. The analogy is not a true one. A specialist in throat or ear diseases cannot have legal status unless he possesses a qualification in general medicine. It would not be in the public interest for an osteopath to gain legal status before he has obtained a general qualification.
The human body is not divided into water-tight com- partments. The individual cell works in unison with the whole of which it is a unit. Thus the healing art cannot be practised in part without relation to the whole. Diagnosis precedes treatment, and diagnosis of a part is impossible without knowledge of the whole. Therefore a thorough knowledge of medicine and its allied sciences is essential to those whose task it is to treat disease.
The medical student does not begin his training by studying one particular branch of .medicine to the exclusion of the rest. Specialization comes not before, but 'after, qualification. Doubtless an osteopath may acquire skill in certain directions, but that skill cannot be applied with safety unless it be guided by a mind well versed in general medicine. • A dexterous individual might be trained to become an expert operator so far as manual technique is concerned, but he would be merely a carpenter, not a surgeon. Without that judgment, knowledge and experience which are built up on the foundation of the medical curriculum he would be a menace to those who sought his aid.
With regard to chiropractors, who hold that the majority of diseases are due to maladjustments of the 'vertebnie; causing pressure on various nerves," I venture to say that there is no scientific foundation for such an hypothesis.
Osteopaths have no legitimate grievance. It is open to all to obtain a medical qualification, and then they can practise mechano-therapy or any other therapy with all the responsibilities, privileges and immunities which they desire.—! am, Sir, &c., HERBERT J. PATERSON. 9 Upper Wimpole Street, W.1.
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