The Republican journal., 1870-05-05
PHYSICIANS AND THEIR PATIENTS.

We occupy considerable space with re-
port of the case recently tried in our Supreme
Court, in which q man wholly and hopelessly
blind sought to recover the sum of twenty
thousand dollars from q well known physic-
ian on the plea that alpractice had caused
of local Importance. II will be read with in
tereSt where both plaintiff and defendant are
personally unknown, for it deals with one of
the most delicate, confidential and sacred re-
l..tior7 "r lil' -tltu 'i ,l"- physiricn to ms
patient. 10 the physician, more than To the
members of any other profession or calling,
are coniided those sacred things which men
hold specially dear-the health, the reputa-
ton, the lives even of those near and dear to
them. He is eXpectedto be not only a learn
ed and skillful physician, but an upright and
honorable man. Pursuing p profession the
details and methods Of which are and always
must be hidden mysteries to the masses, his
qualities and reputation should win that con-
tidence which is so essential to victory over
the ills that flesh is heir to. What the patti
cnt cannot comprehend in treatment, his we'll
grounded reliance on the known honor of
his medical adviser should assure him Of
| Benevolencc is inseparablc from the rightly
conducted practice Of the healing art. and to
the honor Of the profession be ii said that its
most eminent practitioners has been men
''open rs day to melting charity.n The long
and cheercss rides in summers heat and
winters cold, without hope or expectation of
pecuniary reward, to answer the calls of dis
| tressed poverty-the exposure to contagion
the broken health and often premature age
of physicians-attest that not alone is the
hope of gain the incentive to professional eX-
ertion. There We're no more striking mani
festations of the compassion of the Saviour
than those which healed the sick, restored
the leper, made the blind to see. and gave to
Him and the disciples the title of good phys
icians'
| And the profession has other than pecuniarv
rewards. Those who have been relieved of
distressing sickncsscs, Of racking pains, had
restored lost faculties, or been snatched from
! the Jaws of death, must ever feel fol' their
bcncfactors a reverential love. We once
saw 4 distinguished physician from abroad
accostcd in the streets of this city by 4 promi-
nent clergyman of . neghboring town, with
the remark-''Doctor, You were the means,
under God, of preserving mylife, and Iwant
to take you by the hand.' Such remarks are
not the least among the rewards of the good
physician.
There may and probably do creep into the
profession, ignorant or reckless men, whose
lack of skill may inflict damage, but they
| bear no proportion to that class of reckless
patients, who do injury to themselves and
their physicians by ignoring all proper re-
strants. The patient has a duty toward the
physician, us well as the physician to- the pa
ticnt. 1t is hard, if doctor be called too
! late, or when called his directions are not fol-
lowed. that he be held responsible for the
calamity that results.
| The spectacle Of the plaintiff in the recent
trial was Il sad one. The eyes, those most
wonderful and delicate organs, forever closed,
the light of day shut out, and the unfortunate
man destined to grope his checress way thro'
Gods glorious universe without u glimpse
OF its beauty or of the face of fellow being.
But sad as that is, it would be scarcely less so
to see the unjust condemnation of q physician,
| who had used his best skill in the case, ap-
piled approved remedies, and failed through
no fault of his own. Surgery can almost
perform miracles-not quite. 1t was not
alone the matter of dollars, more or less, that
was al stake in this The reputation of the
surgeon, the record of thirty years Of sue