The Worthington advance., 1877-08-30
Hard Times and Medicine.

The following is from the Louisville
(ky.) Medical News: ..-.-... >.
Il doesno seem atsfirst blush that there
sl'o"ki be a very close connection between
medlclne and the times. We are wont to
draw the lines 50 distinctly between a
profession and trade, that it is some
what hard to realize that the laws of prac-
tice should be affected by the vulgar laws
Of commerce. But they are, just as the
price of food, just as rents, more than
clothes (for vanity is the last thing to
succumb) vary with the times, so do the
incomes Of doctors. What an income
there; was just after the war, when every
thing was. sweeping along with the spec
ulative madness it introduced! The great
doctor went way up in the thousands, and
very tcw of, the lesser, ones starved. The
years 1865 and 1866 were booming years.
and the seventies were turned amidst
plenty as general as may happen to call
ing where one in the ten gets the busi-
ness to do. The panic of 1873 marked
the decided turning point, and the bellies
OF the little fish began to turn upward in
the streams. The stagnation of 1877 reach
es the deep waters and grounds of many
whale.
ct course the times must affect the
practice. The doctor is as often a luxury
asa necessity. It is nothing to call him
in for headache, when money is plenty ::
his society may be worth the price of his
visit, when little is ailinag;; but when the
days OF econemysare upon us, he suffers
next to the church. Then comes the
trust in nature worthy better cause, or
Kretched makeslifts, the takingof neigh
bofly .advics, the al plication of old pre-
scriptions, the consultation of the drug
store man or the experiment with nos
trums. Then comes the counting of vis-
its also, and goes the smile at his too fire.
9uent entrance, the ''letting him know
it necessary, j and worse than all,
the snonpaymeHt >of biflsS for .serv-
ices rendered, and the frequent
reference Of his claim at the bank
rupt court.
> And the hard times affoctthe doctor for
more REASONS than upon the score Of econ
omy. His services are not needed so often
then. Money in plenty engenders i'm
prudence and excess, and with them comes
sickness.g BaEring2 tho epidemic, there
has been a steady falling of, in the past
few years genera, we believe, but mark
ed IN this community. sThirty~four was
the number Of deaths in this city last
week; ore fog every 4,O00::people! Let
us at least try to thank God for his gen.
eral mercy.
Then hard 1imes affect the doctor more
cruelty than they do most men. He
make show of success in life. This is the
worlds measure of his capacity. He dare
not cheapen his coat, and though his man.
ys.bosom may chafe beneath a dollar
shirt, he dare not lay it open to the world.
He may not walk when abroad, nor lessen
his style when at home, and the hollow
tale Of <"fearfully busy" must still
pass on, though he dread the bailiff's visit
on the morrow.
But wherefore the, record of these
gloomy thoughts? They are for comfort.
We know how general are their applica-
ton. The telling Of sorrows lessons their
stings, and many may draw1consolation
to1k rsSkng what they have to say, say,
Many, too, may. not have been able to
solva atha hmeulties which surround
them, and have blamed themselves 70,
what is happening, Nay, brothers, the
fault is not with you or with your. art. Il
lies far deeper than that. What has made
the times what they are has done it, and
statesmen and sages have differed about
this. As the day grows brighter ali
around, it will beam for us also again
They say it is neay OF hand. 1T was K
have been when the troops were moved
it f. postponed row until the corps ar
moved. Let us at least hope that it viii
60" when something lis removed tha
$3.50 between us and the sun Of prospect
". There lis much in hope and faith
".They were able, because they though
they were able" was grand mot
to, and when; the flush times d,
come again we ought to be bet
ter for our trials. With faith mad,
stronger yin stheo passing ordeal, bearing
the prosperity, when it comes at last, witt