Daily globe., 1881-06-23
ADDRESS of DR.. 4. j. Stone.

Gentlemen: In accordance with custom ]
am expected to address you and place before
you such suggestions as may have occurred to
me during my term of Office, and which will
in my mind tend to the advancement of our
society or to the honor of our profession.
| Of the advance which our profession has
made in almost every field since our last meet
ing, do not feel called upon to speak; should
but imperfectly summarize facts which are
| familiar to all of you, and in much less elo-
quent manner than it has been detailed by
Others within the past few months.
| am satisfied from my observation during
the past year that no suggestion is needed
and hearty cooperation upon the part ofevery
individual member of the society TO the end
that this association may honor the profession
in it's existence. But. after deliberate consid-
Grafton, do feel constrained to call your at
tention to the written law which is supposed
to govern our actions in all matters profess
sional. In drawing your attention 10 the ''code
of ethlcs," and in asking you candidly to con
slider such criticisms as shall present to you
IN no carping spirit, / am aware that am
treading upon what seems to be forbidden
ground.
| The code, since its final adoption, has ap-
parently been laid upon the shelf by the side
of the family bible, to be treated with almost
as much reverence, to be read quite as seldom,
and to be quoted only when its provisions en-
able one to discipline a rival, or to exclude
him from the benefits OF professional afilia-
| tion.
| A judicial consideration of the code forces
the conclusion that much which it contains is
gratuitous insult to the profession, and more,
| is rather calculated to amuse than to impress
with respect the mind of the layman.
There is not clause or sentence in the first
| two articles which is not absolutely true; but,
/
article first be held constantly before the physi-
clan, as if by nature he were brute who is
to be taught the ordinary laws of humanity,
a fool who must be taught wisdom in the
management of his patients which instinct
alone will inculcate; knave which must be
withheld from empiricism, or man without
the instincts of gentleman?
Granted that men enter the ranks OF the
profession to whom the epithets of 'fool,"
are the platitudes concerning brotherly love,
or to what good is formulated code defining
the relations of medical men to the public or
10 each other? Among gentlemen, such code
is unnecessary; among pirates, it only serves
to foster cathauling hostility; as between a
gentleman and q pirate, any difficulty which
may arise is not to be satisfactorily settled by
reference to any code because the stand
point from which each looks at matters
differ too widely-nor are the penalties which
the code imposes such as to deter a real rascal,
nor is that unsoyereign body, the medical pro.
fession, able to enforce its laws vigorously.
In general, the same criticisms apply to
article second, where, hidden from their sight,
are instructions to patients upon points which
can be determined only by individuals and their
circumstances, and fear that, in large ma
jority of cases, the patient would resent as an
impertiuence the existence of this portion OF
the code were his attention once called to it.
sOf the duties of physicians, for,the supper,
of professional character" section 1, contains
in my judgment, an unsound element of legis-
lation, inasmuch as it requires all members OF
the profession to ''observe strictly such laws
as are instituted for the government of its
members" While, in limited sense. this i
all well enough, yet, extended too far, it is
vicious, and tends, not only to impair the use
fulness of the profession, but is repressive In
it's effect upon the genius and the indepcni-
ence of progressive men.
To the clergy, who deal simply with faith,
dogma is necessary, but We, who deal with
facts, and the practical application of the,l
very order OF nature, from any provisional
code which subjects or claims the right to
subject our thoughts or methods.
Section B has, perhaps, been more freQuentl,
the cause of wrangling and the pretext foi
prosecutions than any other section in the
CODE No section is more openly and con-
stantly violated and with greater impunity
than this one.
In this city, believe it to have been violated
at least once monthly by one regular physician
for the past twelve years, and yet the indi-
viduai has never been brought TO task for his
delinquencies by either the State or county
society, of both of which he is to-day mem
Der in good standing, snd believe the reason
to be that the large majority of the members
of the societies do not believe in the business
of the law, or occasionally evade its provisions
themselves, or, to their credit be it spoken, are
not willing to use the law as O
weapon with which to revenge personal
grievances. Any one may advertise his craft
to an extent and in manner which is dis
gusting, but in the medical profession the
boundary beyond which one cannot step with
out breaking the rules of decency must of me-
cessity be very sharply defined. One cannot
advertise his brains as he can merchandise;