, 1888-01-18
MANNERS OF THE DOCTOR.
The Physician as n Social Factor-Con1
dcnces of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

lNAJ A>AdAA "a oD
ciety, if he has thoroughly prepared him
self for the serious duties of his profess
sion in his earlier years, will find much
time he can spare from his books and the
care of his few patients to devote to social
duties and pleasures. These will prevent
the formation of slovenly habits in dress
and manners, and at the Same time per-
nit the people of his own age and culture
to estimate his character at his true value.
This is all the more important as it is
from this class that his future patrons are
TO come mt insure those ever widening
relations which are to be the support of
his advancing years. The impression
that he is thus able to produce will be of
incalculable value as the years go by. An
accomplishment of some sort will be
found of the greatest service. Music,
dancing, reading or oratory, as his tastes
incline him, should be cultivated, and the
conversations powers, so often deficient
Mt the present day, should receive all
possible encouragement. This, of course,
implies much reading and thought out
side of professional matters, but it will be
found that general information of the
most varied kind may be easily obtained
if reading is pursued in q methodical way,
that a scientific training renders less diff
cult than one would find it who had never
been thus instructed.
The inference that q man who has ex-
cellent information on a large number of
different subjects must also be well
verscd in his own particular department
is usually just. With few exceptions,
this will generally be found a good cri-
terion by which to judge of the acquire
ments of a physician. There are, how
ever, n few exceptions. These are the
enthusiasts, to whom the study of any
thing besides the favorite science seems a
waste of time, or wor9e, n Dissertation of
the temple of knowledge. Even these
must know that there is no item OF
knowledge without its uses to the true
physician. There are many obvious
reasons why the young doctor should
marry early-as soon as his practice will
enable him to surround q wife with the
comforts Of a home. Some one has said
that ''the married man has given hostages
to fortune for his future good behavior"
1t Is ccttain that the confidence of heads
of families is secured more easily by the
married than by the unmarried ply
stefan.
a pledge of secrecy regarding every
thing observed concerning an individual
ill of any disease is Implied by the mere
fact of the pursuit of the medical profess
sion. This pledge Is a part of the Hip
pocratic oath, which dates 500 years be-
fore our era, and, in a modified form, is
administered to graduates, in many med
ical colleges of our time, at the time the
diploma is conferred upon the successful
candidates. The duty of keeping pro-
f~essional secrets rnviolate Is taught from
the beginning TO the close of the years of
study and probation through which the
student must pass before he can proudly
attII ihe title of NJ. d. to his autograph.
In many states, Missouri among them,
the doctor is forbidden to reveal such
secrets even on h witness stand. The
knowledge of this fact is calculated to in
spire the people with q confidence such
as is felt only toward a spiritual adviser.
In fact, the priest and physician stand
upon equal ground in this regard.
Should any medical man so far forget his
duty in this relation as to make the
troubles or diseases of those who had
consulted him a matter of gossip from
house to house or among his associates,
some mean ought to be devised to expel
him from n profession whose honor he
has disgraced. If this cannot be done, he
should incur the contempt and enmity of
every honorable physician, as well as of
the public at large.
This samo qualification-if it can be
thus termed-brings many q tale of sor-
row., suffering and shame t. the notice
of the sympathetic physician. Many q
wrong has been righted, many O blot
upon the fair fame of woman has been
erased, and many n burdened conscience
relieved by restitution, under the careful
guidance of the physician who has been
made the confidant of facts which are
carefully concealed from the inspection
of the world. The good, the benefits
which can be conferred upon society by
the careful and conscientious physician,
in tho manner just limited at, cannot be
overestimated.
The making of a will in proper form
is sometimes of great importance. In
cases of accidents especially is it neces-
sary that some one should know the
tcchnicalities which govern the validity
of such instruments. Frequently the
physician is the only person present of
sufficient education to draw up such q
paper, but if he does not know the rules
regarding the signatures of two witnesses
who saw the testator sign it as his last
will and testament, and of the necessity
of each signature being written in the
presence of the ~testator and tho other
witness, the doctors knowledge in the
premises is incomplete and tho will with
out value.
In the fullncss of time the physician
becomes ''the old DOCTOR in his locality.
This is too frequently a title earned by
length of years, not by meritoriouS serv-
ice, in the cause of humanity. 1t is a
title longed for by many before age gives
them n right to the distinction. Men of
less than 35 years have been known to
argue that the cold doctor distinction
belonged Of right to them. After So
years it would seem proper to advance
the surviving members of n graduating
class of thirty years ago to this proud
distinction. Age in the profession should
be considered rather thar number of
birthdays. 1t may seem rather odd to
devote any time to this question, but
every practitioner knows that the COM
pliment, 'How young you lookl' has no
modifying influence over the ordinary
practitioner. If you would please your
family physician, remark on the gray
noes Of lfa Inarl orl tla L,11-o.- - -.