The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-08-07

what have Just heard OF the degcncr-
ate state of two noble professions" said
Toms father; "indecd, / may express
myself rs stunned by the revelations.
Yet, | do not think that the future Of
the church and the law Is so discourage
ing rs that of medicine. II ] saw the
ghost of prospect for my boy as n doc
tor. ! would not have put you to the
trouble you have so kindly taken TO come
here and advise me. 1t Is my solemn
conviction that IN n few years general
practitioners in medicinc-and that
means nincty-nine out of every hundred
doctors in this country-will not gain
salt. A few men of supreme ability in
medicine will have that department of
the profession to themselves; few more
will have the surgical. For the good
old family doctor, there will be no place
in the new house that John Bull is
going to build. You smile, dear friends.
ut my smile; but the prospect is not
amusing to mo. Uncle John tells us
that his profession is crowded, and that
'thc cry is still they come. Yes, but
they are men that come to the law;
whereas, women are swarming into our
profession. Think of that good folks!
Realize what il means for the men-doc-
tors of the next generation. All our
practice among children and women
will go to the doctorcsscs, Us u matter of
course. Women are naturally fitted for
attending upon their own sex. and are,
if truly feminine, born mcdicos. Now
that they have proved themselves equal
to all the tests of the continental dis :
secting-rooms and to brazcn out the
lectures. and now that they are taking
such brilliant degrees, /, for one, throw
Sp the game, and say, place duD DANES
'Just think! there are nearly mill
ion more women than men in these
happy islands, and they are all bound
to live. And acccntuate the thought
by my assurance that there is no
one so amb tious and remorselcss
in professional competition as n
clever woman! While our male
medical students are dissipatng, idling.
fooling, as they have always done since
Hippocratcs' days, their lady rivals are
preparing to puzzle John Hunter, u
Claude Bernard, a Bichat or any savant
living or dead. prophesy that, before
the end of this century, women will sit
in most of the high places of the mcdi-
cal profession. They have keener wits
than men; they are more moral, more
Industrious, and more sympathetic
But / leave this part of the sub.
ject for another and more dis.
couraging still-people are beginning
to be their oWn doctors! When | was {;
young man, few persons were bolt
enough to quack themselves! Now
there are millions swallowing homeo
pathic pills and tincturcs, and diagnos
ing their own ailments themselves! Add
to them the other millions who fect
themselves on patent medicines, and,
tell you, the field of operation is alarm
ingly diminishing for doctors of either
sex. Nor have l yet unfolded mor'
than fraction of my sorrowful tale
Other multitudes. who, by all that il
fair in social life. instead of followin,
the good old plan of sending for tn
doctor when they have eaten, drunk
and worked, or pleasurcd too freely
now bolt away to some dydropathi
palace, and positively turn a fit of sick
ness into spell of luxury! Talk abou
the Sybarites of odd Go rather an
look at our own, packed shampooed
handled. daadled. and fondled in til
vast number of our hydropathic Hall
. OF Idlencss' and sensuous convalescin
sanitaria! Do not stay to aeplore thes
, lapses from the stern old British metl
ods of phlcbotomy, lecching, purgins
, and partaking of all that was nauseou'
, but receive my most startling conf
, dence-the public don't believe in us d
OF old.
| "You, my reverend cousin. have di
/ suaded us from educating Tom for yol
: profession; but that profession is stl
+ better than mine, for your benetice wi
benefit you to the end of life, while n
+ fees are growing so steadily less th
they will soon touch zero. You, Unc
: John, draw II fearful picture of no,
5 ltigious England; and | felt for you ;
you drew it. Yet my clients are sti
e more pig-hcaded. Yours won't go
: law; mine won't go to the docto
Y Yes, l have at last reached the nethe
: most depth-thc public will not sicbc
rs it used to do. When l was walllin
!! the hospitals, zymotics were rs regul,
/ as the tides; and all the year roun,
4 fevers and agues went their proiitab
0 course. Everybody had bad cold
lcitol OilNC III tllC Sioub
\ rheumatism were solid annuities
S most of us. Broken limbs We're fair
L common in most families. In shOr
G as the proverb ran, the doctor W;
n never out of the house. Alas, all tn
f has gone! People take such ridiculol
f care of themselves: sanitation is Il
T. chatter of every nincompoop; and Il
: fuss about clean cowsheds, pure waite
;. pure air, and the rest, is cutting off Il
= doctors income mt the roots. Have
h said enough, dear friends, to prove
d you that Tom cannot be doctor?'
/ Toms father fell into his chair owe
s come with his own rhetoric; Tom
mother furtively wiped two tribute
: tears from her eyes; the reverend cous
/ looked at the ceiling inquiringly; Unc
l John frowned sardonically.
/ Uncle Lucas, the farmer, who HI
Il listened in puzzled be ctillermentt {
It recitals of his relatives, now got leisur
a ly on to his feet, and broke it in thu
), swell, well, it's all over with gent
l folks. too, it seems to me. l thoug
n that every body was thriving but t
q poor farmers, and now learn that o
st betters are no better oil than ourselvt
J. When my father made me farm
Is against my inclination, l thought
le was unfair, He had made you cid
,r lads into gentlemen, and felt slight
l. at being left among clodpoles in the V
Is lage. But begin to think | shall ha
IS the best of it after all. am in no tro
s. BILE to find careers for my two lads a
20 three lassies. Since the laborers In
s. begun te ask twice rs much wages
II hnun tnl,nn tho lnls To hnln mn We