The People v. Deyoung

38 N.E.2d 22, 378 Ill. 256
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 24, 1941
DocketNo. 26435. Judgment affirmed.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 38 N.E.2d 22 (The People v. Deyoung) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
The People v. Deyoung, 38 N.E.2d 22, 378 Ill. 256 (Ill. 1941).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Earthing

delivered the opinion of the court:

A jury in the county court of Cook county found Joseph DeYoung guilty of violating section 24 of the Medical Practice act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1941, chap. 91, par. 16i) and he was fined $125 and costs. He sued out a writ of error from this court to review that judgment and contended that section 24 was unconstitutional. We held the case involved no debatable constitutional question and transferred it to the Appellate Court for the First District. (People v. DeYoung, 369 Ill. 341.) The Appellate Court affirmed the judgment of conviction (309 Ill. App. 525) and defendant has sued out this writ of error for a further review.

Charlotte Hermes, an investigator for the Department of Registration and Education of this State, filed an information against DeYoung on December 3, 1936, in the county court of Cook county. The first count alleged DeYoung unlawfully diagnosticated an ailment or supposed ailment of Charlotte Hermes, also known as Mrs. Ralph Hermann, as asthma. The second count charged he did unlawfully “treat the supposed asthma of Charlotte Hermes * * * by applying pressure and manipulating the back, side, vertebra and neck of the said Charlotte Hermes * * * with his fingers and hands.” The third count charged he did unlawfully “suggest and recommend the manipulation of the back, side, vertebra, and neck of the said Charlotte Hermes * * * with his fingers and hands, with the intent of receiving a fee of a portion of $5 in cash therefor.” The fourth count alleged he did “unlawfully attach the title Doctor, Physician, Surgeon, M.D., or some other word or abbreviation to his name indicative that he was engaged in the treatment of human ailments as a business, to-wit: Did sign his name upon a receipt for $5 in the following manner, to-wit: ‘Joseph DeYoung, D.N.’ and did distribute pamphlets to members of the public and more particularly to Charlotte Hermes, also known as Mrs. Ralph Hermann, upon which he had caused or permitted his name to be printed, written or stamped in the following manner, to-wit: ‘Dr. Joseph DeYoung, Naprapathic Physician’ and ‘Dr. DeYoung’ and did cause or permit his name to be displayed on a sign on the house at 117 Schwab Road, Thornton, Illinois, in the following manner, to-wit: ‘Dr. Joseph DeYoung, Naprapath’.” The fifth count charged that DeYoung did unlawfully “maintain an office in the house at 117 Schwab Road, equipped with a table, chart, equipment and paraphernalia for the treatment of human ailments.”

On motion of the defendant the second count of the information was quashed. The jury returned a verdict, of not guilty as to the first, third and fifth counts but found DeYoung guilty on the fourth count. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were overruled.

The investigator, Charlotte Hermes, went to the home of DeYoung in Thornton, Illinois, on November 17, 1936. On his porch was a sign, “Dr. Joseph DeYoung, Naprapath.” She entered the house and told DeYoung that her name was Mrs. Ralph Hermann; that she lived in Home-wood ; that she had a bad head cold; that she did not know whether it was asthma or hay fever, but that she was having difficulty in breathing; that she had heard he had helped the little Howe girl in Chicago who was suffering with asthma. Mrs. Hermes testified that DeYoung told her he had helped the Howe girl, and that she was able to breathe quietly after a treatment. This was not denied b.y DeYoung, although he did not admit making this statement. Mrs. DeYoung then took Mrs. Hermes into the office and prepared her for a naprapathic treatment. DeYoung examined Mrs. Hermes’ back by pressing his fingers along her spine and told her that she did not have much asthma. He gave her a massage treatment. DeYoung then left the office and went into the living room. He was joined a few minutes later by his wife, who came from the kitchen, and by Mrs. Hermes who had been dressing alone in the office. Mrs. Hermes then paid $5 for half a course of naprapathic treatments, and defendant gave her a receipt signed “Joseph DeYoung, D.N.” This was admitted in evidence without objection. Mrs. Hermes testified that DeYoung then gave her three pamphlets to read. Both DeYoung and Mrs. DeYoung denied this and testified she purloined them from their home. After Mrs. Hermes had identified People’s exhibits Nos. 2, 3, and 4 as the pamphlets that had been given to her, the assistant State’s attorney asked if there was any objection to receiving them in evidence. Defendant’s counsel replied: “I make a formal objection now.” The court did not rule on this objection then, and no ruling was sought later. Defendant’s counsel was asked if he wished to cross-examine on the exhibits and he replied that he would do that later. The assistant State’s attorney then stated he would withhold the exhibits until the cross-examination. After the cross-examination, the three exhibits were received in evidence without further objection.

People’s exhibit No. 2 is a pamphlet entitled “Bulletin of the American Naprapathic Association. Volume.XII, Burlington, Iowa, September, 1936, Number 11.” This bulletin contains articles by various persons as to the efficacy of naprapathic treatments for “Children’s Respiratory Disorders,” “Faulty Elimination,” “Diseases of the Female,” “Repair Changes in Neurasthenia,” and “Prostatitis.” At the top of the first page of the pamphlet is stamped, “Dr. Joseph DeYoung, Thornton, Ill.” Mrs. DeYoung admitted she passed out a copy of the pamphlet to anyone that wanted one, and said: “We used to get them so many a month.”

People’s exhibit No. 3 is entitled “The Business of Living” and is copyrighted by W. I. Morrison. It advocates naprapathic treatments for the cure of many different human ailments. On the fourth page of the pamphlet there appear the following statements: “Naprapathy is a scientific method of treating diseases, both chronic and acute, without drugs or surgery. Diseases and ailments which are regarded as incurable are- cured by this wonderful treatment.” On the last page of this pamphlet Mrs. DeYoung had written in ink, “Dr. DeYoung, Thornton, Illinois. Tel. 2507.” Defendant admitted on cross-examination that he had two or three hundred of these pamphlets in his home, but denied that he was going to use them in his business.

People’s exhibit No. 4, a pamphlet entitled “A Personal Message,” consists óf questions and answers about naprapathy. The second question is, “What is it?” and the answer, “Naprapathy is a system of accurately charted manipulative treatment for the cure of human ailments.” And on the next to the last page of the pamphlet it is represented that a long list of human diseases has been successfully treated by naprapathy. On the last page there is printed in heavy type, “Dr. Joseph DeYoung, Naprapathic Physician, Pipestone, Minnesota, Telephones, Office 395-J, Residence 395-M.” The printed words “Pipestone, Minnesota,” were crossed out by DeYoung, and under them he wrote in ink, “Thornton, 111.” DeYoung testified he had about thirty of these pamphlets in his possession, and that he intended to use them in his business.

Defendant contends the fourth count of the information should have been quashed because it does not allege that he was, in fact, engaged in the treatment of human ailments as a business.

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38 N.E.2d 22, 378 Ill. 256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-people-v-deyoung-ill-1941.