The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-07-02
For TIE HERALD.
For THE HERALD.
Th" Practitioner .tli:s his Pa
ficntS.

\ all tholouSuiy pefsudOcu tAdt LuS1C 10 az
immense deal Of fSufering in this world that
might be alleyiated or cured, or, still better,
prevented # there was better understanding, |
a different confdencesbetwcen the educated
medical man and the laity.
- The man OF science has an idea that his
knowledge cannot be impaired TO the masses
and in fact, that probably it is best tha:
they should not be entrusted with the great
truths and maximS of the profession; and
that the greater the glamour Of mystery
thrown around The profession, the greater
respect will be shown it, and the greater
confidence will iDurc 10 its practitioners
This course may beget that kind OF respect
and confidence that is inspired in the
ignorant and superstitious by witnessing the
juggler'S fcats OF legerde main; they have the
profoundeSt respect for his long locks and
bluck coat, they have unlimited coDtidcncein
his powers, bu. you will observe them to shy
away from too close proximity 10 him, for
they do not know what devilment may be in
him. Very surely that is no, the kind Of
confidence that should exist between the
practitioner and his patient.
This is land of common schools and
common SENSE, and while there are certain
classes that ale willing TO be treated like
poor Dominic Sampson, when old Meg
Merrilles, with her Devils broth, bade him:
-"gape sinner and swallow" there is
large class. who cun and will criticise any
system of science or art. and will only re.
Spect that which is worthy Of their conf
Gence-Physicians claim this respect, this
confidence, and us class, they deserve it.
but it is unwis2' to fall in:o the error OF
claiming it imperiously: there is too large
number who read and reason and think with
Intelligence to allow any profession to claim
q clcrgyablc exemption from the general
demand, to explain ones self And this is
as it shoald be, else who could distinguish
between the true physician and the Quack.
An excellent old gentleman, who was an
honor to the medical profession remarked
"That the mind and heart Of the practitioner
ought to be the shrine Of truth and probity:
his mind should not deceive itself, and his
heart should not suffer itself to be deceived
and mised, BIZ any earthly temptation, from
the narrow and rugged way Of duty and
cons scientiousness" And that man, though
he may have authority from the best school
inthe land who in practicing one OF the noblcSt
professions, shall make money his God;
sacrificing truth, the respect OF his colleagues,
the duties he owes to his profession, all, on
the altar of manmon, is as much quack as
the peddlar of an all-healing salve.
These things ploduce misgivings in the
minds Of an intelligent people, and cause
them 10 look upon the Doctor with misrust,
they are afraid TO show him the tongue or
speak of passing headache for fear that he
will pouuce on them with o prescription, ,and
consequent bill, all without the least neceS.
siiy. This is all wrong: the man Of science
must be more liberal in this respect. as he
does more charity than any other man in
the community. Let him extend his benefits,
by becoming public educator in the matter
of teaching his fellow men how to avoid
disease, and though he may not accumulate
as much worldly gear as he might otherwise
do, let him remember, that though the
honest man in any aYocatiou, may not
compete with the trickster, yet he makes for
himself pillow as soft US down and one
that will ever WOO his weary head to rest
There is large class who have an un-
bounded confidence in the Doctor, and who
believe him all-powerful 10 cure; imagining
that he has panacsa for every i'll, and that
if after looking ut the patients tongue and
feeling his pulse, he fails TO produce physic
that will cure, he simply doesn't know his
business, or he is careless and indifferen ;
and he at oucc seeks another advisor
The honest { , physician feels called upon in
such cases 10 give box of bread pills or q
phial of water colorcd with red lavender,
with very particular instructions as to how
the medicine is to he laken, and with what
care the effects must be watched; the less
honest gives a iousing dose of medicine and
goes away chuckling in his sleeve and con-
graduating himself upon having good
patient for ut least ten days: and the poor
patient when allowed to get well con-
graduates himself upon his miraculous
deliyerance.
Here is q case in point:-A man consulted
physician two weeks ago with regard to q
trouble he had had q number Of years.
He had consulted q number Of Doctors,
nearly all OF whom, had prescribed medi-
cines for him; ard he had tried innumerable
patent nostrums, all without benefit; after u
thorough examination the physician explain
ed to him, how that the remedies he had
taken were only palliative, and that they
could not possibly cure him, and also e1-
planned to him, how by the perSeyering use
Of very simple means, ,>he would be cured;
and ut the same time assuring him from pract-
cal experience with similar cases, that he
would be surely and thoroughly cured. But
tuc Iuedus hCIS tOO ollupiS. Aos uiuu W.
day, is in bed taking three pills every hour,
day and night, the Doctor visiting him twice
day, trying to cure d symptom, or rather
should say q result of disease which has
been lost sight of, and which might have
have been cured without one grain OF mcdi-
cine.
The patient should always have that con-
fdence in his physician that will allow him
to express himself honestly and candidly,
and if he thinks that you do not need med
iclnc to say so, without fear of giving Of
fence the medical man ought, and must
know, and be able TO distinguish between
those maladics that have tendency to cure
themselves and those that tend to destruction,
and you must allow him to say; let that
alone-turc this.
Da s,t;rEcI &c VI c,vc to yop po hnooo op3