Chapter 17 cont. THE RIGHTS OF MEDICAL EXPERTS. In December, 1872, initial steps were taken, through a resolution introduced by Dr. Peck, toward the securing of a statute defining and recognizing "the rights of the medical and surgical expert in courts of justice in Iowa." Among the matters in which the society has always taken an active interest is the commitment and care of the insane, those most helpless and most unfortunate wars of the state.  In February, 1884, through a committee consisting of Drs. Middleton, McCowen and Tomson, it memorialized the legislature in an admirable address urging state care of all the insane, whether supposedly incurable or not; holding that economy should not be considered before humanity, but that both could be secured in the cottage or "Kankakee" system.  This is favored as being at once economical, sanitary and safe, and adapted to growing needs.  The desirability of providing a large tract of cultivatable land in connection with each main institution, and the undesirability of remanding supposed incurables either to the county poorhouse or to separate state hospitals devoted to this class alone, were especially dwelt upon.  It was a concise and convincing argument which might well be presented anew today in view of apparent backward tendencies in certain quarters. Beside the members of the above committee Dr. Margaret A. Cleaves, a former member of this society, who now ranks with the foremost medical electricians of New York city, and Dr. J. H. Kulp, formerly physician in the Mount Pleasant asylum, and who was for more than thirty years in successful practice here, were especially interested in questions pertaining to the right care of the insane. The regulation of the practice of medicine by state law was early furthered by the Scott County society, a petition to this end, signed by thirty-six physicians, having been forwarded to the legislature in 1878 through Representative Seaman.  Again in 1885 delegates to the state society were instructed to urge that body to make this important measure an issue. In January, 1876, the society, through a committee consisting of Drs. Farquharson, Middleton and Preston, contributed its share toward the Philadelphia exposition by forwarding, on request, various statistics, with a history of hospitals, societies, etc., and a list of the medicinal plants of Scott county, prepared by Dr. Preston. On the subject of homeopathy and other restricted schools in the broad field of medicine, the following carefully considered resolutions expressing the convictions of the society a quarter of a century ago, will not be without interest today.  They were prepared by a specially appointed committee in view of the then recent recognition of homeopathy in the universities of Michigan and Iowa, and of the move toward affiliation in New York, being adopted, after free discussion, at the regular meeting, May 5, 1881: Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L