The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-06
AMATEUR DOCTORS.
5OMH COMMENTS RY A PHYSICIAN
UPON TIRE ADVICE GIVEN BY "a
JGENTLEMAN ITO A FRHEND IN THE
81 ftMHIMTagY

Nv by philanthropic motives. During the
prevalence Of this epidemic it has been really
shocking to see how reeklessly men have cast
their crude ideas into print, all to the great
fietriment of their fellow creatures Recently
our people. sick and WE'LL were about being
smoked to death through the printed recon-
snendation of some crazy man, and you were
kind enough to publish d few lines OF con-
domination from my pen. The fires went out
and the smoking ceased; whether propter hoe
or not don't know
Now comes O. "letter from o gentleman In
the city to o friend In the country, near o
town where fever has declared ITSELF" This
letter tells the friend how to treat yellow
fever. no man will question IS gentleman's"
abstract right to correspond with bis friend
and advise him how to treat yellow fever; nor
will we question the friends right to receive
tie iott5t tf sAA4AeEE the % niee Ihe fleht
exists. though the responsibility Is large and
Che risk great. But has man the right
TO publish his crude Vaccinations on an alb
struse question, involving nothing less than
life, and thus bring hundreds. or thousan ,d
of Ills fellow men under their influence? TO
say the least OF 1t, the professional man
who claims such o right Ia possessed OF @
degree OF vanity that is the share OF COM
Safstively few.
IA
that O striking characteristic OF the brightest
inteleets amongst our medical authors Is
modesty in the expression OF opinions. ana
yet half or whole lifetime OF patient
Thought asad earnest research has given them
Che Highest right to expression OF opinions or
convictions. And why are these men SO care
full? Simply because long and patientstudy OF
great questions especially such as involve
iife-reveals the weakness OF man to himself,
makes him stand In awe Of the unknown,
makes him modest and careful Of the great.
trust put in him by society.
Not SO Of 70 gentleman" who has seen a
great deal Of yellow fever in the city, and had
It himself"
Hear himi
"Of course, send for doctor"
Hear him again .
"a good nurse is better than forty doctors,
Then, in the name OF common sense, what
does bis friend want with one doctor? IL O
good nurse be better than forty DOCTORS one
poor devil Of doctor cannot be worth more
than the fortieth part Of q good nurse and
certainly the best plan is to get primarily
and solely that which is "better than forty
doctors, .
mot one out of twenty cases need die if
proper measures are Immediately taken,
and these measures are laid down by "a gen
tleman."
This would be reducing the mortality, OF
yellow fever to about 8 Or per cent, and 1t
this be true, then there is no use In the yellow
fever commission OF Surgeon WoodWorth
matter OF treatment of the disease. Let them
only look to how 1t comes here and how 1t
gets away for it is no longer pestllence, but
simply an Inconvenience
at Is nursing fever strictly, when firmly
taken hold Of as one would @ ?tettte-b0ldly
il one would not have 1t sting"
And vet the faithful, CONSCIENTIOUS edu
Gated and enlightened physician regards vel
low fever as one Of the most insidious ane
treacherous Of diseases!
"Seven-eighths of our best physicians hnv'
converted themselves into chief directors o
nurses; only occasionally administering
medicines"
cate acquaintance with the medical PROBES
sonan acquaintance and intimacy, onl.
enualed by "a gentleman's" knowledge Q
the grave disease under consideration
But how fortunate 1t is that 50 gentleman
has given q few Of us doctors o chance f.
escape from the honorable distinction OF being
tchief directors of nurses" and OF being
allowed the privilege Of belonging to the one
eighth who are but humble doctors indeed
civilized community like that of New Orlean
O. few physicians possessed of more of tn
real knowledge Of medicine than should b
expected of "chief directors OF nurses.
",Sn,opsis" II bet my head that "a gen
tIemanf cannot make q cartwheel; nay, can
not even give the drawings for making one
Eli bet he cannot knit sock nor rut1le tn
neck OF a chemise, nor cook good gumbC
nor play on Gne CiallOuet, HOE uallce tle iSu
er's hornpipe; and yet any one of these thing
is far more easily done than is intelligen
treatment of thousands Of the cases Of yello1
fever that come before us. These things ne
qure comparatively little preliminary study
little mental effort and some training of mus
cles The physician proper must have There
preliminary education, must then study acct
rately anatomy, physiology, chemistry ma
terra medica, pathology, natural philosophy
etc. and must then pass through the practice
M hnEnjtnlE DnE1rA fit r
Entrusted with the care Of diseased humanity
and still more, the conscientious physical
proper L. a learner even unto the last days OF
long professional life.
"A gentleman" has "seen great deal
yellow fever in the city" and has had it hin
self, and he advises the world that "a goo
nurse is better than forty doctors!" All (
the forty doctors liz they are really doctors
valent disease is irrat1onal for they kno
that patients vary In age, sex, Temperament
condition, general health, surrounding
mental aud moral sta ties, etc. "a gentleman
throws all these heads into the same bask
and calls for a good nurse.
Why have | stopped my buggy and wri
ten sthus? Surely not to indulge in me
structures on dangerous vanity. 1t is to sa
men from themselves and their friends.
IA gentleman" will reflect he must newt
bly, see the error he has committed. The
irresponsible newspaper articles cost lives
lives. The other day man signing himst
M. ~. tIrOm Huntsville, Alll proposed tnrOut
the Picaytne kerosene as remedy for or p1
yentive Of yellow fever, and he openly avow
that 1t was q we'll known fact that the disea
never appeared near gas works; and y
around our extensive gas works yellow few
has prevailed, and now prevails, In its won
form. More, no doubt that article increas
the sale Of kerosene.
"a gentleman" says we must take hold
yellow fever firmly, boldly, "as one won
q nettIe.' ] say yes, just about as Dol dly 6
one would a 7lptfIpn only never before hea
of a sensible and careful man taking hold Of
nettle in any other than the most ginger
manner. To grasp a nettle bravely with t
naked hand is just about as sensible as bs
ting ones head against brick wall. | ia
1t that "a gentleman" has never handl
either serious case Of yellow fever or
nettle.
Let there be truce to amateur mana.
ment of a grave epidemic disease.
MEDICus
a." YELLOW FEVER I'M COURT.