New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-10-02
PHYSICIAN VERSUS PATIENT.

i'm Wednesdays TRIBUNE, spoke WIN his
Characteristic directness and plain common
sense on TOPICS which must interest
all patients as well as all physicians.
Set our faces as we may against doc
tors or drugs, the day comes to all OF
IA when they are of the first importance,
and are the only barriers between us and
death. Hence the public listened with cheer
full alacrity to the Chancellor as he rated the
Young physicians for their shortcomings, and
corrected them in the matters OF dress, beha-
viOr, and bills. There is no outsider holding
business relations with family who is
REGARDED with so much confidence and personal
attachment as the physician; and none VINO,
il he be actuated by Christian principle, has
so many or steadily recurring chances for use
fulncss. However much his natural character
may lessen this good influence it is certainly
essential that the established ethics or etiquette
of his profession should not interfere to di-
minish it. Chancellor Closby's appeal to the
young men entering the profession to Keep
strictly to habits Of personal neatnesS, to alb
stain from gossip, quack advertising OF their
skill by sham show or other cap-trap, rude
or greedy behavior or assumption OF mystery
in the sick room, is therefore well-timed He
might have condensed all details into the in
junction to strive to lie in the grain genuine
and gentle men. Surface polish Will avail as
little in a physician rs any other man, if it
only cover ignorance, self-conceit, or snob-
bish yulgarity.
The temptations likely to heset a young
practitioner differ widely with his locality. a
country doctor il not likely to be careless in
his practice or to Oy"rcharge He goes the
round of the same families year after year.
logs over The same routine of typhoid,
measles, ard tccthing; is under the inccs-
SAINT scrutiny of the eyes of the village,
q board of matrOns who consider them
selves experts in his art his Judgment, temper,
habits are liable at any moment to he called
into question. It is lie who is likely to mount
Il hobby and ride his patients to death upon II,
simply because they will not tolerate any
change of treatment on his part. His calomel or
Doyrl's powders or quininc they know of old, but
let him venture on any now-iangicd drug and
,h2y suspect him OF experimenting on their lives.
He cannot 0ycrcha.gc when the items of ms
bill are liable to Ic discussed IN village CON
cuye; HOT will he make any false show of
wealth or practice 20 humbug community
com! his pati,n.s or their fingers. Obscure or
difficult diseases be is likely to submit to his
usual treatment ard if that prove Intellectual,
to wash his hands Of them as visitation OF
"G0h.r Tie oily doctor is bcset by exactly
opposite temptations. Nobody knows HIM; his
one chance OF success is 10 make himself known;
and he is forbidden any advertisement beyond a
modest sign-hcard. If he does not hire boy
TO c,ll lin out Of church, like Bob Sawyer, he
dors hire Il snowy house. which ahsorbs all his
income. and Starves inside OF it, or hc drives
his coupe 10 and fro to visit imaginary pa
tirnts. As practice in any special line Is likely
to lead soonest To fame and money, he adopts
cuc lung discascs, ailments ct the llyer,
brain. muscles, and is inscnSibly led 20 neg
lpct ell others. Patients from all parts
Of The country come to EcW-lor and
philadciphii 10 be cured, and ii they happen to
bring their disease to the man who has sue
ccssfuly made it his speciality, are likely to
receive benefit. But i'll any ordinary aiiinent,
in the treatment of which neither reputation
nor scientific knowledge will be increased,
,!icv are liable 10 he showed aside with a
measure Of skill and attention which is
as4tIledly not qHahium SUI. Any man
who has taken a commonplace malady to
famous specialist can testify to the mOrtidca-
ton with which he was pOoh-poohed into the
BACKGROUND while the lucky posscssor of an
ol,s,ue disease found himself hero of the
first order
The Chancellor commeHds the rigid Ell
auctte OF The profession Jet cOmm0n-sense
pcople are too often provoked To assert that
it is alm0s; ~ meaningless as the silly rules
Of fashionablc society, and infinitely more
hntful. 1t is just and commendable that
REGULAR physicians should have an established
code of custom and of cyility toward each
other to distinguish them from quacks but
as these forms should be based on common
sense and humanity. they should not be
allowed to override both, "a they often do
in cases where the doctors suavcly squabble
over points of etiquette outside and the pa
ticnt dies within. We can hardly approve the
hypothesis on which the unequal system of
charges ~ justified. Boots" says the Chan
celor, "arc worth so much per pair whoever
wears them. Bat brain labor is valued by
81 its benefits. If set a leg | charge accord
cling to the purse of the patient Now a
sound leg il like the boots, worth so much
whoever wears it; indeed it is worth much less
to the rich man than the poor, who cannot
earn a living without it. 1t ought to have its
fixed price; if the doctors philanthrophy
"reduces the charge to a poor man. well and
rood the patient is benefited and the doctor
il credited on his account with heaven. But
Why should he make the rich man pay for his
charity by oycrcharging? Or why should any
ply sican he left to measure by his minds
eye the wealth of his customers, and charge
accordingly7 Why should not the grocer, the