The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-25
The Romance Of Medicine-The Life
of the DoctOr and the Death OF the
Patient.

The Romance Of MediciMc-The life
of the Doctor and the Death OF the
Patient.
Very much that is very remarkable be-
longs to the diagnosis and prognosis Of q
case. No two medical cases exactly re-
semble one another, any more than any
two human faces are exactly alike, or any
two blades Of grass even. 4 man can no
more be physician by reading books than
q man can be an artist by reading all cX-
tant publications on form and color. Each
case is separate study in itself. Now
this diagnosis is exceedingly troublesome
work. Patients often cause good deal of
this trouble. They send for medical
man, and at once expect him to explain
what is the matter, and to write them q
prescription. If medical man will not do
this of-hand they lose confidence in him,
and will apply to some other practitioner.
1t is perfectly wonderful how a London
physician in extensive practice will ex-
anime and prescribe in very few minutes.
But as rule, a man ought TO have an OPP
portunity OF studying chronic case
infinitely before he adopts any decided
treatment.
Invalids have also another way of pro-
ceeding, which is sore trouble to some
medical men. They make round Of the
London physicians, and take morbid dis
like in discovering q conflict Of medical
opinion. They 60 to some doctor, and
when they have extracted an opinion from
him, they suddenly turn round and say
that his views are totally at variance with
that Of the renowned Sir Kappa Chi, and
derive little countenance from the views
Of Or. Lambda. Some doctors become re-
ticent in their opinions, and are afraid to
deliver a Judgment until they know what
may be the opinion Of the great authori-
ties. But for the most part the general
practitioner will give his own views, and
if they are at variance with those Of the
great authorities, he will declare that the
great authorities are in the wrong.
do not think, however, that the
patient has been in the wrong. In the
multitude of counsellors there is wisdom,
and an obscure case has the fullest chance
of being properly understood when it has
been submitted to different medical lights.
The diagnosis is the making out of what is
exactly the matter with patient; the
prognosis is the judgment, made with more
or less certainty, OF the issue Of the dis
ease. Some doctors attain wonderful
skill in both respects. They can almost
complete both diagnosis and prognosis BY
looking at patients face.
I" 1t is very difficult case" said doc
tor one day to . patient, shut I will tell
you one thing for your consolation, which
is, that you will get we'll" This proved
to be the case, but singularly enough, the
great man himself died suddenly before
he saw the patient again. As a man for
the hrSt time was entering physicians
consulting room, the latter whispered to a
friend, lease OF great pain, am sure
muscle adherng to bOne--chronic and
hopeless" as it proved. The same man
was walking down a street, and at the door
OF a hotel was smiling landlord, portly.
iresh-colored, and apparently robust. The
Hiehd made some casual remark to the
eject that there was typical Briton or
something of that kind. "You think 81 i,
salC The doctor. "That man is safe to do
S "nn'n d WE'VE month" The diagnosis,
nIan G.ihles easy enough, is occasionally per-
49,; Ae "a Tue extreme. The great ma
srn:n; vi cases are plain enough-an
SHp poaiehceu physician will see it all in
ohscu minutes but others are exceedingly
onite Ill sha inc medical man is never
S S able to clear up the obscnrit ot
sometimes there is seine Tt,,o oo s;r
S sane unexpected and ont ~ boa' III
al, i'a a. o'her circumstances wS;ch harmony h@
an The calculations. CO.. n' Mhlch battles
inc patient is going on ext Tsery respect
SAID the doctor to an apxinn s'nely WELL"
The family !" but confess tber ,a? ~ Of
twltching over the eye which =, a. a iittie
all like" The case terminated N4 f, not at
1t sometimes happens that when n s,aliy'
ny all the rules Of art, ought be gettipo,