American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-06-27
TEE MINISTRY g. MEDICINE


address, delivered at the commence
ment of the Western Reserve Medical
College, at Cleveland, O., Feb. 27, 81,
by Rev. Il. Il. Brown, of that city.
The following extract from the intro
duction, we doubt not, will prove inter.
esting and instructive to our readers.
1t presents the philosophy of'the fact,
Gift be fact, that physicians, more
than any other class of professional
men, are given to skepticism, and it
removes the objection, by showing its
groundlessness, which physicians and
others are prone to urge against reig-
ious conversation with the sick and dy-
ing, by ministers of the gospel & other
pious friends.
The scandalous rumors Of the world
say, that of all the liberal professions,
yours is the least religious or perhaps
/ should say, that yours has larger
proportion than any other of irreligi-
Gus men, especially among its Students.
If this is SANDER, l shall be glad to
know that it is; for the impression /
received in some acquaintance in years
past with medical students, in Phila-
delphia and in Paris, very decidedly
tended to confirm me in the belief that,
so far as they we're concerned, the ru-
NOR was not without foundation. And
if it have q foundation in fact, one of
my profession will feel that he stands
on delicate ground in addressing class
of medical students, with the members
Of which he is scarcely, if at all, per-
sonally acquainted. Still, if there be
truth in that religion that | professed-
ly preach, there are close atinities--
whatever be the religious beliefs or
unbeliefs of physicians-there are close
atlnities between the two professions
of the ministry and medicine. And /
am prepared to say, from personal OBJ
servatlon, 4 from information derived
from others and from books, that some
of the best exemplitications Of noble,
living, haNevlseou in the liyes
Of physIcians-some Of them being en-
iment also as physicians. 1t is not, /
think, difficult to understand why the
temptation to skepticism is a particu-
larly strong one to men Of your pro-
fcssion; and to medical students cspc.
cially. Your studies have reference
chiefly to the material forces of life, to
the ignoring of the immaterial and the
spiritual. And as you prosecute your
investigations among these material
things, probing here, aud cutting your
way there, and testing the effects on
this part and that of the body, of GER
tain medical agents, no wonder that
You sometimes forget that man has a
soal, as well as a body. | believe that
the physician is peculiarly tempted to
be an unbeliever; but | believe also,
that if these temptations that are Incl
dent to his profession are resisted and
overcome, he has peculiar facilities for
becoming eminent as believer
Growing out of the lurking skepti-
oisn peculiar to the medical profession
is an aversion often shown to the visits
of clergymen, or pious friends, to the
sick. The feeling is, that such visits
are almost necessarily evil, & only evil,
and that continually. Many physicians
are unwilling that any persons other
.han themselves and nurses shall have
access to the sick rooms of the very
sick. And when we, in the exercise
of our profession, make our visit to the
patients---in many cases om. patients
as truly as thetrs-they tell US, that II
we cross The threshhold of the sick
room, they will not be answerable for
the consequences. Now that evil 10
many times done by injudicious roligi.
Gus conversations with the sick, NAV
not be denied. But my own belief is, 1
that more evil is done, and is oftenep
done, by refusing TO the sick religious
conversations with ministers Of the
Gospel. 1t is given to us to be tho ID
strumcnts, in many cases, of bringing
to the troubled conscience, or to Tie
harassed soul, peace that passeth hll
understanding; and it needs no arIu.
ment to prove that such peaceful sthtc
of mind will secure the best results
from the medicines given for the bure
of the body, 1t is within the exJeri.
ence of every faithful christian minis.
ter, that judicious religious conybrsa.
tlons with the sick, even with theItery
sick, in removing doubts & depresbions
from the mind, act as tonics uporj the
body. / need not say to you, Young
gentlemen, that the abuse of shing
is no valid argument against its ube. -
And need not hesitate to confess to