The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-27

the mantle OF her charity-these must inde.i
rise up and bless his name who was Gods |,
strument of mercy and healing power.
And when his skill proved useless, whepn
overruling Providence frustrated his efr,
and bore away some dear one to the tomb n,
often the bereaved ones laid all the bl,,
upon the untiring, faithful and devoted pb,,
clan, attributing to him the awful power
life and death which God reserves to Hlm,.,,
alone!
Qaeer as the juxtaposition may seem, va
ne YER think of the sorely tried physiciaus with.
ont recalling to mind these words of Byron;
Here's q smile to those who love me,
And what skys above me-
Here's . heart for every fate /"
smile, when their labors are suocessful:
sigh, when disappointment attends them ,ths,I
are all the outward demonstrations of thou
deep and unutterable emotions which tn.
and conscientious physician must expereus
in the presence of grief, death and despair.
We are told that before the Christian sfs
the Archsngel Raphael ("The divine heale.'l,
was the ideal of the true physician, who, acting
under divine guidance, sought the cure Of thd
sick soul while endeavoring to heal the body, !!
The ArchangeI, as we all remember, healed
Tobias the father, of blindness; and to ths|
betrothed of Tobias the SOD, he brought dsliv
erance from an evil spirit. 1t is in this two
fold character of helper of the soul as well as
healer of the body, that the Christian physil
clan should always appear. When his hand
touches q plague spot on the sensitive flesh, Id
knows too often that it is caused by still
fouler plague spot on the soul and be should
strive to heal the former in order that it may
lead to a removal of the latter.
Every day in tae Canon of the Mass, ths
Church commemorates the names of "Cosmss
and Damian," two illustrious physicians whu
Uttered martyrdom about the year 303 Father
Bernard OReilly, in his new and beautifui
tell us that these noble physicians and confesI
sors Of the faith, were called by the Greeks,
Anargyri, meaning "costing no money" because
they took DO fee from their fellow citizens.
Our city too can boast of many counterpart
to these heroic Anargyri, men who have toed
day and night in behalf of the poor, never ask
ing for fee, and ready not only to give their
time and talents but to lay down their lives
for the welfare of their fellow men.
In all our experiences of the present ssasor,
have we ever seen an impatient look, or heard
an impatient word from q single one of the
band of noble physicians who have devoted
themselves to our service7
We have seen them stsgger to the sick bed,
30 weary from prolonged and unceasing labor
that their feet refused to bear them and got
listen patiently and kindly to every petty
muImur, to every petty complaint. We hav'
seen them sit, with hands shading their heag
eyes, by some poor patient, 80 worn out then
selves with loss Of sleep as to be hardly able r
keep the heavy lids from closing, and yet pre-
scribing the most minute details in the way Of
medicine and nursing, failing in no point where
care or science could avail.
And how many too, like Cosmas and
Damiau, have died upon the field of honor and
Of duty-giving their lives for others without
single thought of self-uuconscious even thst
they were doing anything that the world calls
grand, heroic, beautiful!
And like martyrs, too. they have borne per
secution and suffered calumny and received
reproaches and been wounded almost to death.
by the cruel, thoughtless accusations hurled
against them and yet, with an equauimH
unruffied by hate, and msgnanimity undF
turbed by injustice, they have gone on in their
labors of love, as calm and as devoted
though blessings and praise had alone follow
ed their steps.
Truly the physician at all times, but esps
oially in seasons Of epidemic, must have,
Byron said,
"A heart for every fatsr'
In olden times the people glorifed their
heroes, gave them triumphsl wresths sud
wrote their names on tablets and pillars Of
stone. 1t was a wise proceeding as well ass
just one, and served to exotic a love for noble
deeds, snd q worthy desire to emulate the
same, in the breasts of youths and sires.
Let us do the same. Our physioiaus are tho
heroes Of the terrible year Of 1873 They have
battled with an enemy as fierce and deadyN
any mail. clad warrior who ever welded bsttS
axe and spear. They have been "more than
armies to the public veal" for they have
saved city from entire ruin and preserves
many household from utter blight and dF
solution. They have given to us all an e.
ample of courage and self sacrifice, of herolsa
and endurance, of charity and benevolence'
valor and sublime devotion, which will en-