Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-15
DOCTORS DISAGREE.
BUT THE EDUCATED ONES DO THE
BEST FOR THEIR PATIENTS.
The Title Doctor Not Always to
Be Considered as Evidence That the
wearer Is a Skilled Physician--A Case
Of Typhoid Fever.

Of Typhoid Fever.
1t is q common saying that doctors disa-
gree" etc. One is constantly hearing that old
and threadbare expression, the idea being
conveyed that it is only exceptionally that if
two or more are called upon for an opinion
as to the character of the disease in any
given case, or the treatment demanded they
are seldom in accord. The real fact is that |
the reverse Of this is true-that what is ac- |
cepted as the rule is actually the exception. |
Doctors do occasionally disagree, but only in |
exceptional Gases. 1t must be remembered |
that there are doctors and doctors Some
are well educated and Others are but indif-
ferently SO, and u very large proportion
throughout our country, and especially Mas
sachusetts, are absolutely ignorant even of
the first principles Of medicine
The title doctor is generally supposed to
be one which can only be acquired through
some college or university legally authorized
to confer it, 1t is also a common belief that
it is invariably sign that he who wears it
has been duly qualified and not found want
ing" or, in other words, that he has been
properly educated, and lie and limb can
be safely inJrusted to his keeping. This is
another. The title doctor" belongs to him
only who has had it conferred upon him
after he has spent years OF study-worked
for it and ca" i. Bat in these days,
when preixed me 1t cannot be con-
slider evidence that the wearer is a man
skill 10 science Of medicine, nor does it
signify, even, that be has common school
| learning. There are neither legal nor social
restrictions to the use Of the title, nor is
there, excepting in two or three states in the
| Union, any law which restricts the practice
| OF medicine to those only who are known to
be properly educated. Any man or woman,
10 matter how ignorant or depraved he or
she is, has just as much r. 1t TO assume the
care of the sick or injured and practice of
medicine and surgery IS he vino has spent
four years in continuous study at the Har-
yard Medical college
A CASE OF TYPHOID.
Every druggist knows that be is, for obvi-
Gus reasons, singularly and unjustly liable to
lawsuits A bare suspicion of an error on his
part is sufficient basis for one and in conse-
quence of single mistake his business may
be ruined and the savings Of years swept
away. Realizing this he is exceedingly care
full himself, and is very certain not to allow
any one in his employ who is Incompetent to
do anything which will jeopardize him. On
the other hand, man practlcing as Il ply
stefan, yet not thoroughly familiar with the
| workings of disease and the use of drugs, is
| always dangerous in the extreme, A few
drops too much Of this extract, a fraction Of
grain Of that powder, given to his patient
and the deadly work is done But his awful
error is known only 70 himself. His lnatient
dies, but to disease IS attributed the cause. 1t
is always easy for him to deceive the friends
of the unfortunate
Take case Of typhoid fever, for instance.
In its early stage the disease is seldom easy
of recognition. Il is, il fact, almost always
more or less difficult. There are then but
rarely 81 rs sufficiently marked to enable
even the most skllIful physician to say with
certainty that the case before him is one of
typhoid He notes this and that symptom,
here and there an indication, which lead him
to suspect that the patient has that much
dreaded fever But he must wait day or
two before he can decide He must watch
the rise and fall of the temperature, night
and morning-that will tell him much, for
| the variations are characteriStic-the changes
in the pulse, in the expression, in the tongue
in the appearance of the abdomen, etc The
symptoms of typhoid are many. Some
which are prominent in one case are absent
in others. With few only pre- ,ent he can
not judge, for they constitute the bare out
lines; be must wait for the picture to devel-
OF. But while waiting he is by no means
idle. In the interests OF his patient he is an
ticipating every exigency which is likely to
arise. He takes no chances, but sees that In
nu-sing, etc, every precaution is instituted
which would be indicated in a case of ty-
phoid. His medicinal treatment is directed
to the symptoms. Fever is kept down, pain
allayed, restlessness QUOTED, sleep produced,
and so on. At last he is sure of his diagnosis
it is typhoid. But be has left nothing IN
done, there is nothing he would wish he
could undo All along he has kept within
the safety lines.
Yet how different would have been the
work of an ignorant pretender-an incom.
petent doctor In 90 such cases out of 100
he would have at once pronounced the pa.
TENTS disease bilious fever, and given a
purge-which in most cases of typhoid would
prove falkland death been the direct con.
sequence But diarrhea is present in very
large number Of cases; that Tact every per
doctor of the sort referred to does not tel
the friends what medicine he gives. No
His practice is shrouded with mystery
he is medical Columbus. They have nc
idea that he has administered purge, anc
the appearance of the diarrhea does not sur
/ prise them; so when the patient dies they
I think the fever killed him, and all evidenc,
= of the doctors horrible mistake goes six fee
5 under ground.
; A DIFFERENCE IN DETAILS.
; Among true physicians, equally well quail
= fed, there is rarely in any given case diff
ference of opinion, except it be in the mos
q unimportant details. There are thousand
. Of drugs at the command of physicians. Al
:, have their special favorItes One uses tn
, bromide Of sodium as nervine, while an
other prefers the bromide of potassium. Ii
very many instances it would matter littl
{ which was given the patient; and yet, wer
i one doctor in favor of the former to assum
his care after the other had been in attend
5 ance upon him, the chances are that the In
b conner would make the trifing change Th
n carpenter, the machinist, and, in fact, al
tradesmen, are welded TO their own tools
e To them they are old, tried friends-thei
g owners can get on better with them So j
is with the physician; drugs are, practi
n cally, tools in his hands. He knows
. from long experience, just how certain one
will act; they have stood him In good stea'
when battling with death at the bedside
The tools of others may be newer, have
little higher polish, be little more compl
u Gated, but he prefers his own, for he know
t what he can do with them.
Let the people protect themselves and lini
J the practice Of medicine and surgery, as the
have dentistry and pharmacy, to those VIII
have been duly qualified They need not re
+ strict it to one school" They should nc
consider whether man who desires to prac
tice medicine is regular = "hOmceopath
g or an eclectic" but they should know tina
d he can perform the duties which he woul
il assume-that he is n man whom they ca
safely trust to beat back death when
threatens mother or child, husband or wife
: Boston Herald.
J a Case of Canine CIevernesx.
J But by far the most interesting part q
: this hunt to me is yet to come, and to te
J.. which all this rigmarole has been penned
-