ary surgeons--the profession
itself, the schools that educate, and the general public on whom the
arts are practiced. The schools and the practitioners are, for the most
part, primarily interested in protecting a monopoly of skill. Their
interest in restrictive legislation is analogous to that of the labor
union which limits the number of apprentices. This trade unionism among
professional colleges and professional graduates of these colleges has
gradually developed a higher and higher standard that results in
greater protection to the public. The first step is generally to demand
that all persons entering a profession after a given date shall prove
to the state their ability to "practice" without injury to clients. It
is almost impossible to get such laws through unless the original law
exempts all persons by whatever name, who are practicing the art in
question at the time the law is passed. Whether we are speaking of
medicine, law, dentistry, accountancy, osteopathy, or barbering, this
has been the history of compulsory restriction and of state
examinations.

As with regard to most other legislation, the enforcement of the law
lags behind its definition. Moreover nothing is done after a man has
passed a certain examination to see that he remains fit and safe to
treat the public. Because no supervision is provided except on the day
of examination, it is possible for men and women to fill their brains
for a week or two weeks with the information necessary to pass what
coaches and tutors have learned will, in all probability, be asked.
Forever after, the public is left to protect itself. Out of this
condition have arisen the evil, unethical, and unprofessional practices
represented particularly by painless dentists, by ignorant or dishonest
physicians, and by osteopaths and careless nurses.

The machinery for preventing these evils is discussed in Chapter XXIX.
Suffice it here to present to parents and teachers the need for
examination in advance of certification that will show whether or not
those who make a livelihood by caring for others' health are equipped
to mitigate rather than aggravate evils, and for further tests by which
the public can learn from time to time which, among those professional
men who are protected by the public against competition, continue to be
safe. Finally, if, as will be clearly seen, it is desirable that what
we call professional ethics persist and that self-advertisement be
discouraged