HC Deb 04 April 1933 vol 276 cc1586-7
Mr. BOOTHBY

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to regulate the practice of osteopathy. I do not intend to delay the House many minutes, especially in view of the important business that is to follow, but this is a matter of the most vital importance. The object of the Bill is to set up a statutory board with the necessary powers and authority to compile a register of qualified osteopaths and to supervise the admission to that register of persons who have followed a prescribed course of study and have acquired a prescribed standard of professional competence. Under this Bill the unqualified and incompetent charlatan and quack will be debarred from practising osteopathy, which is not the case under the law as it exists at the present time. Under the Bill the qualified osteopath will be in a position to employ a fully qualified anaesthetist in the course of his work, without the latter falling under the ban of the General Medical Council. The case of Dr. Axham will probably still be fresh in the memory of hon. Members and I am sure that no hon. Member would wish to see that kind of thing repeated in the future, because if ever a man was a martyr that man was made a martyr. I want to emphasise the fact that the osteopaths do not seek inclusion in the general medical profession. They are asking in this Bill to be recognised by the Legislature, with a statutory authority to regulate their own affairs, with a view to the protection of the public. That is the main motive of the Bill.

I do not propose to examine for one moment the merits of osteopathy. The House well knows that this particular school of thought relies upon the principle that most diseases, if not every disease, have their origin in some maladjustment of the framework of the body, and the skilled osteopath believes that by mechano-therapeutics he can release forces in the body that in the majority of cases can effect a cure without the aid either of drugs or of surgery. The House will probably have its own views on this matter, but I would point out that the methods of the qualified osteopaths have been attended during the last few years with a great measure of success. I rely upon this simple proposition that osteopathy is widely practised in this country, and in the public interest I submit that it should now either be prohibited, if it is a bad thing, or alternatively it should be regularised by Statute, as it is in 47 out of 48 States in America. I do not think that anyone in this House would suggest that it should be prohibited. Therefore, I ask the House to allow the Bill to be brought in, so as to bring the practice of osteopathy into conformity with the standard laid down for the practice of ordinary medicine.

Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Boothby, Mr. Hannon, Mr. Campbell Ker, Mr. Ernest Evans, Lieut.-Colonel Moore, Sir Robert Gower, Rear-Admiral Sueter, Sir Park Goff, Sir Philip Dawson, Mr. J. Wallace, Viscount Knebworth, and Mr. Rhys Davies.