National Republican., 1881-09-01
THE PR EsIDENT'S CASE.
To the Editor of THE RrpunLrcAS,

TO the Editor or THE REPUBLICAN!
In your issue of the Goth, commenting
on the Presidents condition, you say; "This OBJ
servant and thoughtful class see that at this June
ture more than half the battle is dependent upon
the management Of the nurse and the skill of the
physician, in contradlstlnction TO the surgeon,
who may now be properly regarded as secondary
and ancillary In the restoration of the patient"
You say rightly But have heard 1t suggested
that the inference from your remark is that the
attending surgeons are not competent MS physi-
clans, but are only eminent in the art of surgery
Personally do not know of the ability or special
qualifications of any Of the medical men attending
the President but the special reputation of each
of them appears TO be based upon his extraor-
dinary skin in and knowledge Of the art of sur
gerry.
A MAN MAY BE EXPERT
in handling the lance the saw, and such like in
siruments and may know how best to make an
incision in your bodyl or bel able to sew up a
wound beautifully, and yet he may not be as
competent TO prescribe nt the same time the treat
ment which the patients stomach should havexas
doctor who cannot do first class job ofsurgery.
take your meaning to be that in the present case
the surgeon has done his part WELL and has got to
apoint where he can Just now do very little addI-
tonal, whereas thore Is much required al the
hands Of the physician aud great deal dependent
upon the nurse. That the devoted, loving, skill
ful, experienced nurses are with the patient we
know, for we have daily evidence OF their good
Offices. But is the eminent, learned, experienced,
successful physician there? Grant the presence
OF the surgeon, and It does not prove the physi-
clans presence
IN LARGE CITIES, ESPECIALLY
I'm Germany, France, England, and generally In
the United States, the professions are distinct The
medical mau who gives proper devotion to the art
ofsuTgery cannot for lack OF time, give the neces.
sary attention TO the science OF medicine In order
to become the physician. "Custom has distin-
guished the classes Of the profession The practice
of the physician is universally understood, us well
by their college as by the public, to be properly
confined TO the prescribing OF medicines, which
are 10 be compounded by the apOthecaries, and IN
30 far experimenting the proceedings of the sur
geon as to aid his operations by prescribing
what is necessary TO the general health OF the pa
dent and for the purpose OF counteracung any in
teTnal disease.
THE PRESENCE or THE PISTOL BALL
In the body and the wound it made demanded
thesurgeons attendance in order,it might be
20 extract the ball. The ball aud wound naturally
caused internal disease, which began its destruc
tion instanter, Therefore, the work of the physi-
clan was required contemporaneously and there
Afler continuously, in experimenting the pro-
ceedngs Of the surgeon and eounteTact-
ing any internal disease" IL follows that you
were correct IN saying that at this juncturo NOR
than half the battle is dependent upon the man
agement Of the nurse and the SKIN Of the physi
clan" IMPRIMAruR.