The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-05-21

with which YOU surprised me year ago
had been given TO another. But IN the
midst Of my sell.distrust am encouraged
In the hope that your kindly torbearance
on this occasion will equal the confidence
Tsposed in me when you made me youE
bresidinR officer. Stimulated by this hope,
and beipR impressed with the wants and
requirements Of the society from my past
years experience In the discharge Of your
important trust, l feel somewhat acquaint-
ed with the patient in hand, whose pAtho9,
logical condition ia the society, and shall
venture q few simple prescriptions In this
running Clinique,
The history Of the patient can be briefly
told, Born at FEirmont April 10th, 1857,
soon after the war OF the Rebellion, when
prejudice and passion supplanted calm
reason, and had unlimited sway, It has OF
course suffered from the errors and tndis:
cretions incident to youth; but 1t has all
the while been under the care Of good
nurses and large hearted dOcli, so that
despite adverse Influences, II has grown in
responsibility, and to-day Yields an intu'
encs for good that Is felt by every member
Of the profession in the State.
This encouraging condition Is wholly
attributable to the excellent hyRtentc
rules that were adopted OF tts birth,
and have since been attempted
TO be rigidly enforced. | mean our Ma
tional Code OF Medical Ethics, which has
kept the medical atmosphere moderately
pure. But, like contagious poisonous
breath, offenaes have come, and will con-
tinue to como 90 long as jealousy, aVallce
and vanity find genial Judgment in the
human heart, From these three tuFbu'
lent passions have sprung all our woes,
aud, now and then, brought the profession
into ridiCule,
In all communities there may be found
physicians who seem TO glory in lie Of
continued professional outlRWTyi who IN
dulge in intrigue and article to win no.
toriety and secure business who are ever
ready to pander to the prejudices Of the
multitude; to use the most disTeputable
deception and cunning for their own adj
yanCement; and to detraCt from profess
slonal brother, without shame or COM
junction, for the sake oil little epnem'
eral distinction, or for few dollars
Against such offenders there Is no effective
code, and no judgments Of the Society can
be too severe. When 1t becomes neCes'
sary to condemn, let the condemnation be
unmeasured and etfectual, for In that way
wholesome examples will be given, and
the dignity OF the Society preserved.
Every individual on entering the pro-
fession, as he becomes thereby entitled to
the most sacred and confidential privl'
leges, incurs an obligation to exert his best
abilities TO maintain lts dignity and honor,
to exalt its standing In the estimation o.
the public, and to enlarge the bounds oil
its usefulness. How else, indeed, can the
discrimination between true science and
the assumption Of empirlCism be made?
The conduct OF the true physician 10 the
everyday pledge and proof that he pur'
sues the profession as q liberal science,
and that In oil his dealings with his pa
tents, with his brethren and the commu-
nifty, he Is guided by the principles Of pro-
fsssional honor. 10 saythat q physician