MEDICAL PRACTITIONER

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 631, 19 January 1872, Page 3

MEDICAL PRACTITIONER

To the Editor of the Evening Stab. Sib, —I am surprised at the question raised by " Fair Play," viz., " whether any chemist may setup as a practitioner?" as a short time back it was admitted by public apology that a midwife is a member of the medical profession; if so, why not a chemist? I am, &c, Phabmaceutist.

To the Editor of the Evening Siae. Sic, —In reply to " Fair Play's" inquiries respecting the practice of medicine by chemists, I beg to refer him to the Medical Practitioners' Act of September 3, 1869.

The law is of course the same for the followers of any doctrine, whether Allopathic or Homoapathic, and. a duly qualified homeopathic practitioner holds exactly the same kind, of diploma or title as a certificate of possessing a medical education, as any other physician or surgeon, simply with the knowledge of homeopathic therapeutics superadded. Mr. , the person evidently alluded to, originally a weak seedling of a homeopathic chemist's assistant, transplanted to this hemisphero, vegetating for some time unobserved in the bush, then removed to the clayey soil of Auckland, arrived at full maturity in the heat of the present summer, and breaks out a fullgrown and full-blown practitioner, with consulting rooms, gold-headed eaiie, etc., complete. "Whether the plant is ornamental or useful it is difficult to decide. However by thus impudently assuming a title and status, for which he has not the Blightest medical qualification, he makes himself liable to be prosecuted and punished in a summary way by the infliction of a fine not exceeding £50. It is expedient for any one to test the case by application to the Police Court. I am, &c, F. A. Haktmann, M.D. Princes street, January 19.