People ex rel. Poage v. Walsh

264 Ill. App. 273, 1931 Ill. App. LEXIS 1106
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 16, 1931
DocketGen. No. 8,513
StatusPublished

This text of 264 Ill. App. 273 (People ex rel. Poage v. Walsh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People ex rel. Poage v. Walsh, 264 Ill. App. 273, 1931 Ill. App. LEXIS 1106 (Ill. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Niehaus

delivered the opinion of the court.

In this case a petition for mandamus was filed in the circuit court of Sangamon county in the case of the People on the relation of A. J. Poage, against the appellee, M. F. Walsh, Director of the Department of Eegistration and Education, averring that the relator is a graduate of the Chicago College of Osteopathy, a school duly recognized and authorized by the Department of Eegistration and Education of the State to confer the degree of doctor of osteopathy and the right to practice obstetrics; and that the students of which college are eligible under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Illinois and the rules of the Department of Eegistration and Education to take an examination for a license to practice the treatment of human ailments without the use of drugs by the science or method known and designated as osteopathy, and the right to practice obstetrics. And the petition also alleges in this connection that the relator has been illegally deprived of the right to be examined and obtain a license for the practice of osteopathy and obstetrics in the State; and therefore prays for a writ of mandamus to be directed to M. F. Walsh, Director of the Department of Eegistration and Education, “commanding him to do and save all such acts and to refrain from doing all such acts as this court in its judgment upon the filing of this petition commands and commanding in behalf of the People of the State of Illinois, most wrongfully aggrieved in the premises”; and' especially “commanding the said M. F. Walsh, Director of the Department of Eegistration and Education to appoint a board of Doctors of Osteopathy to examine the relator and others similarly situated as to their qualifications and education to practice the system of treating human ailments without the use of drugs, known and designated as osteopathy.” A demurrer was filed to the petition and sustained by the court; and the petition was thereupon dismisséd. Thereupon the cause was appealed to the Supreme Court on the ground that there was a constitutional question involved in the controversy. It was found however by the Supreme Court that a constitutional question was not involved, and therefore the cause was transferred to this court. People ex rel. Poage v. Walsh, 343 Ill. 136.

The allegations in the petition for mandamus upon which the relator bases his right to the writ of mandamus are as follows:

That the board of examiners, as constituted and appointed by the Department of Registration and Education under and by virtue of the authority vested therein by the statutes of the State of Illinois consists of Malcolm L. Harris, John R. Neal, Arthur H. Geiger, W. H. Gilmore and Gilbert Fitzpatrick, each and all of whom are medical practitioners licensed to practice under the laws of the State of Illinois the science of medicine and the use of operative surgery and the administration of drugs; that neither or any of said examiners are learned or schooled in the science of osteopathy; that neither or any of them are familiar with the technique taught to osteopaths; that neither or any of them are qualified by learning or experience to examine your petitioner or any other individual seeking a license to practice the science of osteopathy; . . . that under and by virtue of Ca-hill’s St. ch. 91, H 9; section 9, chapter 91, Smith-Hurd Revised Statutes of Illinois, your petitioner and others who seek to practice osteopathy and obstetrics are exempt from any examination concerning materia medica, therapeutics and surgery; that the present examiners are particularly schooled in the exempted subjects and are unlearned in the science and technique taught to your petitioner and others in like situation.

The petition further avers, that under and by virtue of Cahill’s St. ch. 24a, TT 61(1); paragraph 6, section 60a, chapter 127, Smith-Hurd Revised Statutes, the Director of Registration and Education must appoint a board to prepare questions and grade papers on practice peculiar to the school of osteopathy; that the occasion requires the appointment of said additional examiners. . . .

The petition also avers that the committee so designated and appointed by the Director of Registration and Education to examine those seeking to practice the treatment of human ailments without the use of drugs and without operative surgery is prejudiced against applicants seeking to secure a license for the practice of osteopathy and obstetrics; that, at, to wit: the June examination, 1927, said committee arbitrarily marked and graded the answers of those students seeking a license to practice osteopathy and obstetrics so as to make it impossible for the students to pass said examination, thereby denying them their licenses; that at the examination conducted in 1929, the committee secretly changed its place of holding the examination to prevent those seeking examination for osteopathy and obstetrics to take the examinations; that when students seeking to take said examination located said committee, the committee then gave to said students ten questions each on obstetrics and gynecology and at the same time and during the same examination gave to those applicants seeking a license to practice medicine in all its branches, five questions on each of said subjects.

Wherefore your petitioner charges that the board of examiners is prejudiced and unfair to your petitioner and all applicants seeking a license for the practice of osteopathy and obstetrics.

The petition also avers that on, to wit, the 19th day of March, A. D. 1930, he served or directed to be served upon the Director of Registration and Education a demand in writing for the appointment of a hoard of osteopaths to examine those applicants for licenses who were graduates of authorized recognized schools of osteopathy which demand has not been complied with by said Director of the Department of Registration and Education.

The powers and duties of the Department of Registration and Education concerning the matters in controversy, are defined in Cahill’s St. ch. 24a, fí 59, subd. 6; paragraph 6, section 58, chapter 127 of the ‘ ‘ State Government Act,” namely: “To exercise the rights, powers and duties vested by law in the State Board of Health relating to the practice of medicine or any of the branches thereof, or midwifery.” And Cahill’s St. ch. 24a, If 61(1); section 60a of chapter 127 provides that none of the functions and duties enumerated in section 60 of the Government Act shall he exercised by the Department of Registration and Education except upon the action and report in writing of a committee which shall be composed of persons designated from time to time by the Director of Registration and Education to take such action and to make such report, for the respective professions, trades and occupations; and “For the medical practitioners and midwives, five persons, all of whom shall be reputable physicians licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this State, no one of whom shall he an officer, trustee, instructor or stockholder (or otherwise interested, directly or indirectly) in any medical college (or medical institution), which confers upon its graduates the degree of doctor of medicine. For the purpose of preparing questions and rating papers on practice peculiar to any school, graduates of which may be candidates for registration or license, the director may designate additional examiners whenever occasion may require.”

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Related

People Ex Rel. Poage v. Walsh
174 N.E. 881 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1931)

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Bluebook (online)
264 Ill. App. 273, 1931 Ill. App. LEXIS 1106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-poage-v-walsh-illappct-1931.