Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-04-10
Degradation of the Medical Profession

Medical profession, especially here IN the
West, must be apparent TO every one. /
will venture to say, that there has never
been time since the science was ushered
into existence when it was so deeply de-
graded. Though Individual members of the
profession occasionally attain to eminence
and distinction and command and receive, at
the hands of the community the confidence
and respect due them and their profession,
yet the great mass of Doctors are looked
upon with distrust and ridicule, and the
most exalted and most phianthropic Of pro-
fessions as mere trade adopted for pecu-
mary emoument. And how can it be 9TH
erwise while there are SO many unworthy
members belonging to it, and whose very
acts that thus degrade it are encouraged and
upheld by the community Instead of ply
sicians rivaling each other in the investiga-
tion and dissemination Of scientific truth,
the whole aim of many seems to be to OBJ
tain practice at no matter what sacrifice of
honor, dignity and self-respect. The Doc
tor whose motive is the accumulation Of dol
lars ard cents, is disgrace not only to the
profession but to humanity itself. This is a
fixed principle Of it. True, the physician
should support himself and family by his
profession, and may honorably accumulate
wealth thereby, but that should not be his
motive for adopting and prosecuting it. Yet
it is fact (and it is poor compliment to
the intelligence of the community that the
least worthy portion of the profession are,
as a general thing, the most liberaily pa.
tronized. Where is the community in this
western country in which the presumptu.
GUS quack and demagogue who boasts on the
streets of his skill and of the extraordinary
cures he has performed (Which like the
cures performed by patent medicines, never
came under the observation of any living
mortal): who will misrepresent the charac-
ter and and nature and exaggerate the dam
gers and difficulties Of cases, in order 10 get
the credit of great skill in curing them, if
they recover, or to escape censure If they
die, and who will, with the mast consum-
mate assurance, approach man and solicit
his patronage viva voce, or propose to do it
by contract for stipulated sum per year,
or for so much visit-less than what is
customary-in order to wrest it from the
hands of another and secure it for himself
where, say, is the community in which
such fellow as this would not, and does
not, ride rough-shod over the modest and
retiring physician who relies only on his
merits and who would scorn the very idea
of resorting to any such contemplate means
of obtaining practice. Demagogueism is
disgusting in any of the vocations Of life
but in none so much as in the medical pro-
fession. A resort to such means to obtair
practice is an evidence of want Of merit il
those who are guilty of it. They seem t'
feel conscious that they cannot, and mint
times out of ten they would not obtain i
in any other way. 1.-THE community woulc
see this and act upon it, it would bring a
bout the reformation so much TO be desired
Men Of genius would then rival each othe
in the only thing worthy of rivalry-ln stri
wing to excel in professional skill and learn
ing-and those who have none would slinl
back into the vocations suited to their men
tai capacities and in which, only, they cal
be useful to themselves or any one else
| Thus the profession would be purged of al
: incompetent and unworthy members. Tru
merit in all conditions and vocations of lif
is modest, retiring and self-reliant.
, Graves nothing but what it justly deserves
, and but too seldom gets that. 1t can n
more exist with arrogance and presumption
than can gun powder with fire.
1t is true enough, humiliating as is tn
Onfession, that many physicians possessing
/ full share Of skill In their profession so ia
: forget their own honor and dignity--if in
: deed they ever had any-and that of tn
profession which they degrade, as 10 be gull
ty of these very things which it is the oh
1 iect of this communication to expose an
: condemn. But care not what may be thei
: qualifications in this respect, l care not
they have diploma from every Medic'
i. College in the world, such men cannot,wit
0 safety to their employers, and ought not t
e be trusted as physicians. Above all oihc
men on earth physician should be homes
!, and reliable in everything he says and doe
in his professional capacity, because th'
: which is, or onght to be, most precious to L
c all-life and health--are trusted to his car,
n And how can these be safely trusted in IL
l. hands of a Doctor who is so servile ar
e mercenary as to wheede and whine arour
d a man whom he otherwise cares nothing
& bout for the purpose of obtaining his Patro'