New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-25
RELIGION AND MEDICINE.
DOES THE STUDY OF MEDICINE TEND TO
UNBELIEF?


If physician is candid and thoughtful man,
without any theological prepOSscssons, he VIII almost
inevitably come TO d,belcve the dogma, Of Christian
lily. scientific knowledge Of the human body bligt',
if it does not kill the Christian belief in a soul This
! u:terancc was made by a wcllknown and highly
esteemed physician to the writer short tine ago,
| As his deliberate conviction. IL was made IN the
confidence of social intercourse and therefore his name
Is not given. But IL at once suggested the proprey
OF finding ont how prevalent this view Is in the
medical profession. Il Is a charge often brought
against physicians that many Of them are Indifferent
to religion. And some few people, assuming the fact
to be true. explain it by saying that profound and
scientific study Of the human body naturally tends TO
foster scepcism because It reveals mans close KIN
snip with the rest Of the animal creation Evidently
the best people throw light this question are the
physicians Themselves and therefore the following
three questions were put To a number Of physicians,
ana also 10 some hospital supcrnendchtS whose TO
lations with physician, are necessarily very close:
l. Is there. in your opinion a tendency 70 I'M
belief or agnostlcm among phl Slcans at the present
timci
. Do You believe that such tendency would be
detrimental to the profession Of medicine
D. In what way, II any. does belief in Chris
tanity make physicians more efficient in their pro
fesslonl
The first TO return an answer to these questions
/
tcenth-St His views are a follow !. do rot be
licvc there is tendency to uubclicf agnosucSn
among physicians at the present day should rather
think the reverse is the Busy physicians are
~ a rule. believers in Christianity although they are
| not clurcheocr, because Of the demands oil their
profession. =. | do believe that such tendency
would be detrimental 10 the profession OF medicine
Patient, do not have faith in man who mas 10 la''n
I'm anything: and faith l. essential aid In the prac'
l ffec ,f mod |
physician who became an agnOstic; they lost theF
faith In him when he lost his faith few years ago
| a professor I'm New York medical COLLEGE, Wa
promptly Kissed by his class Of medical students L"
declaring his disbelief in an allwsc Creator - \
Christian phvscian. or one who respects religious
belief has the advantage in MS proe''o" ""'
such believer has I'm other professions. believe
after twenty three years experience In medicine a'
there are times when the physician could not pra'''
without the aid II Christianity witness IN" h'lp
IL ciyc> TO him I'm urging patients 10 bear PAIN anu
submit 10 necessary operations, the power II gives MN
in the presence Of the dying and those VINO arc w
rcaycd tho confidence il gives to patents 10 "7N a.
vice on the many subject, collateral to mca''e' anu
which the trusted physician can give oe''e' '"'' ~
most anybody else" -.
Theodore G.. Virgins " D.. Of no SO West Forty
.,,,t., tr,,crly the resident physician OF the
uahucnauu Uo,pitaI answered as follows; " l. /
think there. b, no srcltcr tendency 70 unpcci aN'"
rhysicilrs -lan among any other class equally el"'
especially when one considTs the Imperative an Va
A busy practitioner. which keep him from ''' "'''''''
means of Christian DO, clclmcht. that t. alte'''''o
~, church scryicc. and Bible study. - lher' arc
many l,illan, Practitioners who are scofer- DuI
,.rc,e IN man f., Al nj, best without God Inc
,b,-Lt,, become, familiar with the inner family Hle
Ild frof, the world &, subjected to peculiar tempt
,o- fhri.h the devotion Of hi, ladF patients A" 10
, -,.,,r or atheist, his moral Ilfc would soon brIn-
rcpr,,,h upon tie profession. >. otier ulH-7 "''o
f .n CHRISTIAN nh, stefan will command the greater
,,ar, Of Dbl, PATIENTS will be moro honest Win t"e"
and win himself and VII strive harder To '''a'H
,,r.,ro ,,ri,1 will make him more efficient IN treat
i,. e.,,.e tn,u the one working merely for money
a,d nncr
Andrew n. smith. VI D. oi -. L'"' '',i''
.ulr.,,i th. following a, ms answers 10 me ''''''
+ l. Auous those devoted 10 s'iehu"' l'"'''' W
.- .r,,. some who p.t an cxtrayanut estimate upon
,r. ,,iue and dignity Of science, cNaltlnc II ABOVE
...,,.t,.r ,,.. and making II The object Of suprcm"
. rho, l.loyc or affect 10 believe That II
....-..do. rcl.,l,n aud that nothing ie worthy q
rt. fcrtfl! consideration. much loss "i "',''' '
cnn.u' 'c scientifically proved. i''" 'N ' - "
d. not think That medical men are "'"'' '"'
those views ti'u "'i'r "'' WIZ ''' ,,,.
...cc IN fact. the matter, tA"Y nave 70 '''l WIZ
refuse. 80 rrnt pant, Z" come mo ''"'
r,frcmcut which constitutes science me "I''''''
of tlc human mind aIc nowhere more P''"'"'" ~
uar,uf than lu Tie attempt 10 gf1plI' VIZ" ''. w.
fh. problem, Boa medicine. Tie etl'' 90 "''''' '''
,i.,,f.-. tfe-cut- lut httlc cncoIrscm"ht 10 '"'
pride oi intellect which scientific pur-'il' ''' ''Pi
D, foster Nor doc, tai, study ili"i'h any '''''
...,.ot 20 If. pro,c Tie conception of tHe creative
mower 4 cod a. tnc source Of everything in h''''
ON the contrary. the most r'I'"i~ '' W
m creation ric found 90 the study OF medicine D"'''
les medical men. from their familiarity WIN '''"''
81 .urcilus add death c' mb less en'''"@l r'"-''"
than men in general. IhcIr professor" '''' "'''
rncr ,ffcDtlmc- from going % church hu' " j. 'N'
lci,f mat. despite al thI'' INC 'P''' VI y
ictua'e- the live, Of ph> 'i'ih'' - ""'' ~
tent That is scarcely cQptlcd lI "'"'' P''''
b, N,,,..i,. h. a profession which cannot hc madc !"
re-. ,.,o, ,r,,fi..d for money or
}l'lu H' "''' I'M - I'm, ...,. dora,
fame. OF from devotion {" science, or II"' ~" "
,i,os If ,ncr. humanity. Nonc Of these, or All o'
, ..,,., ,,..ri, , motive deep enough 10 call
''" ''"' .,.,... -, ,,o,rt aud hr,in NotEin.
TOR 'h" bcs' po~'ibe> oi nci'' anu i,.,,, -, ,
can do r. but a sense of personal T,-p'i''"'HN 10 =
49,. ,...., of what tLc t,l,e lcau doe