The Washington critic., 1888-07-10
THE "BuILErrN" NUISANCE.
a Pertinent Query OF Interest to the
Medical Profession.

Medical Profession.
EDITOR Cmrc: Is it not time that the
medical nuisance of publishing "bul
letins' signed by number Of physicians
whenever any one Of prominence fallsill
be stopped2
There is no class of people more clam.
orous in denunciation of the personal use
ofprinters' ink than these same doctors.
They are tacitly obligated not to insert an
advertisement In the papers. In country
places such practice is admissible
in the local paper, but should
to do likewise he would soon find his
medical brethren giving him the cold
shoulder. The gentlemen of pills and
powders, who are loudest in their denun-
citation of the "virtues Of printers ink
are those who succeed the best in having
their names paraded before the public in
the daily press and other periodicals. !
refer principally TO college professors and
hospital stalls. Take up any medical
journal and see the long fist Of etcoteras
pinned to the names of the authors of
many an article-the boldest kind of ad-
vertising.
General Phil. Sheridan's illness fur.
nishes the text for this article. Instead
of taking up so much space with the
names of doctors, the words, Attending
physician" would appear better, because
the public has faith that o physician of
good judgment would be in attendance.
Isn't this Sheridan illness travesty
on the medical profession Isn't one
physician able to take charge of a case of
heart failure or any other .well-known
disease2 The drugs and methods TO
meet this case are few and not difficult
Of application. IL not, how shameiullly
deceived are the thousands who daily
trust themselves in the hands of one
physician. "Ye gods and little fishes ~
IL Is an outrage upon the pocket.book of
the helpless victim.
Hundreds of cases are successfully
treated by obscure physicians upon OBJ
sCuye patients-one physician to one pa
tient. In double sense it seems ms
fortune to be person of prominence and
to fall ill--the Illness and the doctors-foT
Immediately lie is surrounded by q crowd
of NJ. DIS like flies about q honey pot.
AS each physician appears upon the
scene, "ten to one" he agrees with the
treatment originated by number one.
Instead of doing what conscientious
physician should do-give his advice and
withdraw--he hangs around, and writes
his name upon the "bulletin" which is
finally gwen to the public
In the case before us laymen are puz-
zled why, in a city like Washington,
headquarters of the medical department
of the United States army, with the chief
officer of the army dangerously i'll, that
| il is necessary to send out of the city for
medical advice. We naturally supposed
| that the head of the medical department
| of the United States Government was ca
| pable ana, perhaps, better prepared than
| others to give advice in any case of illness
likely to befall any member of the army
or navy. Why should a man be placed
| in such a position of trust if he Is not
available when most needed2 Sheridan
is q good soldier and patriot; that's g'iiIyy ~ "
he wears the highest insignia Insignia of rank in
the army and wy we love him. Isn't
the Chiet--Gf the medical department
equalEy profcient2 We presume he ls
ri am confident that the General and
ninety per cent. of the people view this
parade of NJ. DIS as nuisance, and
would have more faith in his recovering
were he attended by one good physician
instead of mob. Yes, a mob. | thought
the word "mob" might appear too sweep
| ing, but o body of men without leader
| is mob, but when leader is found the
mob ceases to be and one man rules
through many, When physical force /!
desired this mass of men is necessary, bu
mob of M. DIS is superfuous--a head /!
wanted always. An NJ. ID. should alway!
be q head. Perhaps the reason we have
so many medical mobs all over thu
country is because medical science (2) /!
so faulty that no practitioner feels SURE
his Interpretation of the law of cure viii
succeed, and when distinguished either
falls to his professional care he hesitate:
to assume the responsibility of interpre
ting so uncertain science as that oi
therapeutics, God save us If doctors are
] afraid of their own science! g.
| Washington. July 10,