Columbus Whig. (Columbus, Miss.) 1843-18??, 1844-02-29
Moral Dutlea 0f fhe phrsieian

4 niu tue lOli0Wlng beautiful ex-
tract from Dr. Bartlett's valedictorv 70
sirY. .e'
! The last motive Of which shall
speak. and under whose prcmptines,
10 a greater or less extent, you will
perform your professional labors. is
inc sense of duty. This is the loft
lest and noblest principle Of human
conduct. and when enlightened and
pure, IT IS the safest. / do no. stand
here as sefmonizer, Such is not
my vocation. I NEEDLE in NO way
with your religious belief. / have
nothIng. whatever, TO do with your ar
tlcle OF faith, or your religious creeds.
These rest between yourselves and
your maker. To his own master eve
ry man standeth or falleth. But This
great truth ofthe supremacy OF the re-
lIglous and moral nature, God has
written as fegibiy in the very consti-
lotion OF humanity, as he has in his
own inspired land authenticated VOL
unne. Prue Science and revelation
mingle their accordant voices in the
proclamation of this transcendam veri-
ty. They alike declare that human
character attainS its fullest develope-
nent. and teaches its highest perfec-
ton, on one sole, inevitable condition
land that is the ascendency Of these
powers. Unsullied integrity, truth,
purity, honor that can take no stain.
selfsacri6ce. doing unto others as we
would that :hey should do unto US,
justice, charity, philanthropy, love-
have not these ever constituted. do
they not still constitute, the strength,
the grace, the glory, the ornament of
humanity? And in the practice of our
own art. they are as essential 10 the
largest success and the highest happi-
ness, as III any of the walks of lie. /
rejoice that we belong to profession.
so crowded as is our own, with high
examples Of this beautiful union Of
science and virtue! The annals Of
our art are all radiant With their starry
names. Go where you wiI!--through
all the wide regions ofcivilization and
of science; and in every nook and
corner, in every qu'et village, in eve
ry remote and rural district, you will
find The fragrant memory Of some such
example, or. some living illustration Of
its beauty. In the village Church Of
Dundalk, there is a marble monument
on which is written the name Of
George GilIichan--a man, as | have
learned since these words are written
who was classmate in Europe, and,
an esteemed personal friend Of one of
my present colleagues. In the begin
ming Of that dreadful epidemic with
which Ireland was overfun, twenty
| Eve years ago, he was among the ear
lies to see and comprehend the danger
Of the coming storm. He aroused
his friends and neighbors to sense Of
the peril which was approaching them;
he urged them to make ready for its
visitation; he aided them in the estab-
lishment OF an efficient medical police,
| and in the institution of public hes
pital. And when, amidst gloom, and
misgiving, and terror, il came upon
them, where was the young physician?
Day and night, at the bedside of the
sick and the poor. He refused entire
ly the calls of the rich. He withdrew
entirely f-om the service Of those who
were able to pay, and who could
therefore easily command all the care
| and attention which they required, in
order to devote himself exclusively to
the destitute. the lorsaken, the neglec-
ted--to those who were ready to perish
because there were none to help. Gil
lichan was young thirty years had not
vet passed over his head--he was
learned and accompIished--life, with
its golden honors yet unreache d--with
its choicest pleasures yet untasted,
spread far and wide before him--he
hoped to escape the fever, although he
had d strong and sad presentment that
he should not survive it il it seized
him-he knew that in the close and
confined dwellings Of the poorj the
contagious causes Of the disease were
concentrated and nalignant-but, urg-
ed on by bis sense of duty, and his
love for his feIIow-men-hour after
hour-day after daylight after night
in the crowded hospital, in the unfin-
fshed hut, by the wayside: in the dark,
damp, cherries howell, with its beds
oc straw--where ever the mingled call
| Of disease and poverty summoned him
wherever there was suffering to be
Observation-Disclosures there was hunger
to be appeased-. wherever there was
! wretchedness TO be comforted- there.
with the succots of his art. with the
charities Of his liberal hand. with the
solace of his friendly voice, like
ministering angel, was the young phys
iciao. At last worn down by fatigue,
y:aooad hy tho thick cO1tagiOn