The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-17

| kets; together with the usual variety of for
| eign and domestic news, readable miscellany,
&c. Sc.
LeSisIntiom for the Mrdieai Profession.
The cd proverb, ubi tres medici, duo athci,
is now almost forgotten. Napoleon enter
tanned the fallacious idea therein contained,
| and expressed it in his own peculiar style
| when he pinched DR.. O'Meara's ear and said,
"You physicians think there is no soul be-
cause you cannot find it with your knives"
Medical practitioners, especially IN modern
times, have done rather more than their
share toward tightening the weary burdens Of
this unintelligible world, and have, in conse-
quence, meited and received the confidence
and esteem OF their fellow men in an unusual
degree. The profession, to be sure, like all
Others is cursed with an army OF empirical
hangers-on, who often succeed in impfessing
minds defective in powers of generalization
with the belief that all physicians are eharla-
tans and rogues. There are numerous Bob
Sawyeis whose sale claim to professional emf
nence rests upon their green goggles and pre-
NJ. ID. merely as a means OF enhancing their
personal consequence. There is always
plentiful crop of quacks with their hell-broth
specifics, lying in wait to torture, poison and
destroy untortunates who, of all others, need
the tenderest sympathy and the most con-
scientious treatment. But have not the law
yers Binckley among them m?-and the cler-
gymen their full complement OF wolves in
Sleeps clothing?
Since the organization of the Maine Medi-
cal Association, fifteen years ago, great sue.
cess has attended the efforts OF physicians in
this State to elevate the character of their
profession, free it from the damaging intlu-
ence of the humbuggery OF irregular prac-
titioners, and entitle it to the respect and con-
fidenee of their fellow men. An abstract of
the transactions of this association at its
meeting in this city last June, with a copy of
which we have been favored, cannot fail to
impress all.readers with an agreeable sense Of
the generous views and honorable aims of the
gentlemen who form the organization. They
want to make themselves what they are ex-
pected to be,-well informed and skillful guar
dians of the public health. The address of
DR.. Chadwick before the Association, which
has been published aud accompanies the alb
stract Of the transactions, and which was re-
ceyed with marked indications of approval
by his associates, is pervaded by liberal spir
it that shows how rapidly physicians are free
ing Themselves from the narrow traditions OF
their art. =.
In order TO extend the sphere OF their use
fulness. and qualify themselves yet more fully
to do the work which is required of them,
they propose to ask the Legislature to enact
certain laws, from the lack of which they ex-
perience great embarrassment. One of the
most important OF these is a statute, similar
to those which have been accorded to their
brethren in other States, legalizing dissec-
tons. The dficu lilies which physicians now
experience from the anomalous provisions OF
our statutes are torcibly stated in the follow
ing extract from the inaugural address OF DR..
Tewksbury, President of the Association:
AT the Medical College of our State where
anatomy and surgery are required to be taught,
and the public demands that it should fur
nish good and accomplished physicians and
surgeons-yet the latter sets its face against
the only means of obtaining them. Not sim
gle subject can be produced for the use of this
institution, without violating law. Our State
statute barely permits the use of them, and
says, Any physician, surgeon or medical stu s
dent may have in his possession or use hnlnan
bodies OF parts thereof iaacfuliy obtained, for
anatomical investigation, &c" Now we know
and these lawmakers know, that subjects
cannot be LAWFULLY obtained in this State from
another State OF this Union; for in those
States where subjects furnished by lac,
for dissection, a provision is made, which de-
clares shat whoever shall remove such remains
beyond tie limits of the State, shall on convic
tionibe adjudged guilty ola criminal offence,
and shall be imprisoned in one of the State
prisons for term not less than one gear.
Our State policy, therefore, sanctions up
holds and even protects US in the commission
of crime in another State, that is in that State
felony and punishable by Imprisonment.
Again, ON one page of our statute books the
practicing physician is ma lie liable for all dam
ages to life or limb arising directly or indirect
ly from his want acknowledge or skill. Oman
other page, if he seeks that Knowledge and
skill by the only means that the State affords
BIN, he is made Jelon. A man sues ply
scian for damages, under a suit of malpractice,
and the Courts punish him for what the State
has done. So the State first compels him to
be a poor dndtomid and bungliag surgeon
then coinpeis him to be fined
Another scheme which the doctors have
very much at heart, is the establishment of
State Hospital This would be incidentally
an advantage to the profession, but the mo-
tives which induce physicians TO labor for its
establishment are rather those.o philanthro-
py and Christian benevolence than selfish
regard tor their own interests. Unquestion-
ably it is beyond the power of the Legislature
to confer greater, more direct blessing upon
the unfortunate poor and the unfortunate
sick than by the endowment OF General
Hospital. The difference between the situa-
ton OF the rich and the poor is at no time so
painfully apparent as when the poor man is
stricken down by disease. He has an abso-
lutte right to such means of recovery as the
amper wealth Of his neighbor enable him to
procure. Here is a case in which society is
bound to make good to the individual that of
which misfortune has deprived him, and to
place him on an equal footing with him who
is richest. Prudhon used to say Property is
robbery" Not one man in ten thousand be-
lieves in this Red Republican doctrine, but if
it could ever approximate to truth, it would
be in those cases where the surplus means of
the rich are devoted to the procurement of
luxurious indulgences for themselves instead
of the alienation of the sullerings OF the poor.
Society owes something to the poor man
whose health might be restored by proper
medical treatment, which his lack OF means
prevents his securing. A State Hospital
,.o,,ld ,,o+ ,aaat oil tboea caSaS hut IN a verv