The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-25
MetIIcnI EthIss.


might be taking place in what is known as
medical ethics. The medical men, next to
the clergy, have been under a traditional
code Of ethics. Ethics is species Of relig.
ion. 1t is defined to be 'the science Of
human duty" Lawyers do not profess to
be under u code Of ethics hall so rigorous as
the medical men. Their main tenet is TO be
true to their clients. On this tenet hang
all the Jaw and the profits, Not so with the
doctors. They walk on higher plane OF
professional life. lithey make discovery
Of benefit to the world in the line Of their
profession thOy are forbidden to patent it.
It is to be open and free to the profession
everywhere, and also to the afflicted among
mankind. But they must not proclaim
their discovery from the housetOp Medical
deeds must be done in corner. The
Alright hand OF medical men must scarcely
know what the left hand does. A physi.
clan is hardly allowed to designate his
name and local habitalion to the world.
He is almost reduced to an ethical abstrac'
ton, and is barely allowed to take on n
concrete form. Ills door plate must be
very modest. Likewise his medical card
in newspaper. Indeed an advertisement
Of any sort is not ethical This is one rea.
son why newspaper mon have so much
difficulty in discovering and proclaiming
what the good Samaritans OF the profession
are doing.
Another peculiarly Of medical ethics has
been the tradition that there are deep and.
impossible lines to be drawn around the
adherents Of n particular school Of medi
cine, which no man may pass and main
tain good standing in his school. This is
particularly truo Of what is known as tho
Old School, or, more correctly speaking, the
Allopathic School Of medicine This school
is the aristocracy Of medicine. TAeir system
hascOmedown from antiquity. They are the
ancicn noblcssc Of the profession, dating
back to Hippocrites, "thO Father Of Medi.
cine" who was himself believed to be the
nineteenth in family descent from old Is
cuIapius. 1t is not strange that school
OF medicine thus descended should be-
come exclusive through the ages, and
look upon nil other schools us
more or less empirical Age and conser-
vatism so hand in hand. Hence, up to the
present time, it has happened that strict
members Of the old school OF medicine
would not consul. with followers OF any Of
the new schools. This was not done in u
spirit Of Pharislism, hut in obedience to Il
dogma Of the profession, which taught that
truth and science cannot compromise with
error and empiricism. In other words, oil
and water cannot mix. Ii aIopathy is an
approved science Of medicine it cannot
yield to an opposing school, Hence, rs in
the case Of the Jews and Sanaritans, there
have been no dcalings-or, more properly
speaking, no consultations between doctors
OF the old school and doctors OF the new
schools.
But it begins to look rs if tradition, Gus
tom, conservatism and antiquity were Civ
ing way somewhat beneath the rcsistlcss
pressure Of change. Times change and
even the most conservative and exclusive
order or profession cannot escape the in
tiuence. The Medical Society of the State
otNcw York have just revised their code
Of ethics, and they have removed the re-
striction forbidding hitherto the rccogni-
ton otthe homeopathic school Of medicine.
All regular physicians are now allowed to
consult with hOmeopaths oil good standing
in their own school. The old embargo is
wiped out, and hereafter reputable physi-
Clans Of the rival schools will be found
meeting together for consultation Mt the
bedside OF sick people.
The newspapers generally have u com.
mandatory word to say Of this action of
tho New York society. They arc Of the
opinion thst the society simply recognized
the inevitable. There were too many rep
utable men in the two schools breaking
over and ignoring the restriction to ron
der discipline Oxpediont, and therefore it
was better to do away with the restriction
asgracefully rs possible. So this has been
done.
Another matter that came up for discus.
sioh was the rule that prevents physicians
from advertising in the newspapers in the
form OF simple professional card. Tie
society would not let so its hold on this
rule, but, on the contrary, rlthcr stitIencd
up on it. This is ridculed by the press as
hnical relic that ought to have gone with
the other Introduction. But the doctors
profess to believe that every man ought to
stand exclusively on his own reputation,
and his reputation ought to be such that
every citizen can tell stranger where 10
find htul-at least, where to look Tor him.
and therefore there is no necessity for
advertising in the newspapers. Ii is be-
liovcd that il the door should be opened up
to advertising the competitive spirit among
physicians would soon lead them tosprcad
themselves with view to obtaining un.
professional advantages, and that therefore
tits bctterton nip this weakness in the bud.
So for the present the members OF the New
York Society must forcgo advertising.
Probably ut the next revision Of the rules
they will receive further light and widen
the door Of their new departure. 1t isuow
ascertained for iact that the ethics Of the
profession can be modified; something that
was notknown heretofore, aud hence future
notifications are rot impossible.
Electric Light.
Electric light is the coming light--the
light Of the future. OF this there is no
doubt as regards certain uses Of it. Iii