[To the Editor of The SPEcrAToa.] Sta,—I trust your desire
to be fair will give me space. For years patients of mine have gone to osteopaths, with my knowledge, and, often, approval, so that I might judge what the osteopaths could do ; and without my knowledge, till they told me afterwards ; all kinds of cases, and in 100 per cent. of them no good resulted, and much amazing ignorance was shown. The osteopaths failed simply, or ludicrously,
or nearly disastrously, but never failed to extract the most exorbitant fees. Much could be said about this aspect of their
work. They showed complete ignorance of clinical medicine, but a gullible public cares not for that. They:treated anything, and everything, all in one way. Diagnosis in the medical sense seemed unknown to them. Many of their successes-
are psychic," and they deal largely with neurotic people. When successful (apparently they are, though not with my patients), I suspect, the personality of the man (often forceful and domineering) is the factor, and not "osteopathy." The psychic aspects of eases are too little recognized. If all practitioners take this to the heart, we will give that credit to the osteopaths, if they wish. If osteonaths became properly qualified medical men, their footing would be secure, and their grievances vanish, though but few osteopaths would remain. I have written this from facts in my own knowledge, and more than thirty years of practice. I care not who cures my patients, so long as they are cured. But I dislike the exploitation of the fears and ignorance of my patients, even if done from lack of knoviledge.—I am,
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