Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-01-24
Medical Ethics.

-he dignity of the profession to resort
20 public advertisements to publicly
offer medicine aud advice To the poor
to publish cases and opera
tons in the daily points, &C., &c.
Now if the so-called ethical doctors
were in the habit of observing this
section of the code, we could at least
give respect to their sincerity and be-
lieve that they had a conscientious
reason for communicating adyertis-
ing doctors and denouncing them as
quacks, but we know that they do
not observe it. They all resort to
advertisements of some form
or other, and the NEAR they adopt,
though they may be considered more
professional, are certainly not more
honorable, than paying for space in
the legitimate advertising mediums.
The very newspaper in which the
doctors published the report
of their meetings, &C., &C., is in
itself an advertisement intended to
elevate the members of the medical
society in the estimation of the peo-
pie. Some doctors advertise them
selves as professors of medical COL
leges, and railroad surgeons, while
others seek political and social eleva-
ton for the same purpose. The code
of ethics e%njoins the doctors not to
publish cases or operations in the
daily prints. But how very few doc
tors are so ethical that they will OBJ
ject to having their skill praised in
the newspapers, and the operations
they have performed made mention
of with commendatory remarks? and
how few there are who will not find
their way to a reporter or to the ed
itor's sanctum to furnish all the nec-
essary information when they have
done anything they consider impor-
tant enough to have mentioned, and
yet these same doctors are in good
standing in medical societies, and are
every ready to denounce all adver-
Using doctors as quacks. 1t is true
there are quacks among advertising
doctors and it is equally true that there
are o quacks among the social
ed Irregular doctors. The code is
a cloak which hides the ignorance and
incompetence of thousands of doc
tors, who are not, and can never be,
fit to be trusted with the life or health
of a patient. Elevated by their own
conceit, and screened from public
criticisms and exposure by societies
which assume tyrannical prerogatives,
they are enabled to maintain their So
cial and business standing by the OBJ
servance of a few outward forms
which, according to professional eth
les, constitute the garb of respecta-
bility. There are some things in
medical ethics that need revision &;
for they do not stand the test of pub
lie opinion, as they are not found to
prom ote the public good, and they
stand in the way of the greatest use
fulness of the physician. Advertis-
ing can not he wrong. 1t is some
times the only way to inform the
public. Everybody does it-preach-
ers and preaching, books and authors,
colleges, schools and teachers are all
advertised. If doctors are really OPP
posed to advertising on ethical
grounds, we would be pleased to see
them abandon the following favorite
methods of bringing their names be-
fore the public instead of finding
fault with those who patronize the
printers and publishers:
Publishing the reports of the meet
ings of their societies, with extracts
from the comments on papers read al
such meetings, publishing or allowing
to be published the fact of their at
tendance upon patients, and the per
forming of operations; publishing
their connection with hospitals, cole,
ges and other institutions the use Of
letter-heads and envelopes with theil
names, professions and treatise print
ed on them, and lastly publishing
their names in any connection will
the title, doctor or the abbrevia
ton IN. D." These are all mean!
of advertising and appear not to b.
obnoxious to the profession, only be
canse they are not paid for, and OIL
business principles we can not SCI
that it would be any improperly Oh
the part of publishers to refuse t.
print any PERSONS name as a ''doctor'
unless paid at the usual advertiser!
rates. Advertising is not sinful ant
it may be a humane and dignife'
proceeding. T
POst.Ofice Robbed.
LOUISIANA, Mo-, Jan. 18Th
post-ofice in this city was burglar
lied last night. The thieves entere
by the rear door and drilled a hol
through the safe door opposite tn
lock, which they succeeded in turnin
, and the safe was 500 opened TO
their inspection. About 600 two-cer
stamps, 5000 one-cent stamps an
100 fve-cent stamps was taken. Th
= registered letters were riled an
about SIS distracted from then
( There was a gold watch and q pair {