Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-09

because the plank, used by another man, In the
construction Of your house rotted earlyf 10 you
expect that sap-pne will last slong ~ OAK IL u
the DOCTORS fault that your children have
consumption, or are OF rheumatic or
scrofulOus tendency? Who lAmcnts the dnn-
cuities OF tho situation more tnan ne
Who mourns your daughters death more than
than he f-not your nearest neighbor. Inc doctor,
too, has lost a dear, confding friend. his heart
has been bleeding all alone az ne saw inonLhs mo- ,is
ago the certain approach Of death; bat ne ma
his sOrrow deep down in his heart even rom
you. The spring flowers that he with enioIced
10y placed on the white pillow OF your Gear
daughter had no sweetness for him, though Win
feigned gladness he extols their fragrance 70 MS
dying patientl How often he can say,
liam nothappy when smlle''
And as appropriately
"Thou hast wounded the spirit that loved thee.
Merchants and railroads don't change Sheir
attorneys every time they lose case.
LITTLE EXCUSE FOR NGRATIrUDE-
There is not doctor sleeping IN Hollywood or |
In the valleys and mountains Of Virginia VINO mas
not hundred times received Just such migrate
ful and unjust treatment nt the hands OF Chrls-
tlan men and women. Is there any excuse ior
this7 Very little. IL the guilty parties wore |
grossly ignorant thcre would be excuse; nut TINS |
Il not always the case. No sensible man should |
IN the city especially (where ne may nave ms |
choice Of dOctors), select doctor 20 |
whose care he commits the heaitn ana yves
OF his family without due consideration. IL ne |
makes mistake he can soon md II out. An ln- |
tercOurse Of few weeks or months should satisfy |
bin whether or not his new doctor Is man ot |
sense. In no way does a man show Wnetnef ne |
is wise or a fool so much as in conyf -satlon' III
doctor talks wen on almost every subject, u Is /
fair TO conclude that he Is well INFORMED on thht
subject 20 which he has given his NE. Norman Ot
sense will OF course employ as a family physi- |
cinn drunkard, a libertlne, or q lazy drone. III
so he has no ones 20 blame but himself. NoW' |
having selected the doctor, you should give nun |
your confidence. II his patients get well IN rea- |
eonable time you should be satisfied. III tnissuc- |
cess continue for Eve, ten, or fifteen years anu |
then comes a death should such an event destroy |
your confidence Of so many years. III you IOuuu |
yo faith waning you should have asked LOT |
consultation and you whould have hadit prompt |
~. Many lives are lost yearly by change Oi
doctors. To know a patients history ana pc |
culiarities s OF the greatest Importance TO doc
tor II the doctor Is grossly nsgseqW ol |
very III patient this IL Just ground LOT |
dismissal. but the Judgment In this case shoIiu m
be guarded certainly not hnsty. Hear his de- |
fence before you dismiss him Don't listen 10 |
your neighbor, Mrs. Jones, who Is very sure "her |
doctor" WOuld have cured your child. Does hrs' |
Jones know more about your SICK aud your doc |
tor than YOU and your wife cOmhinedf DO you |
consult her about your business anarS7 inc |
fact that the Doctor expects TO get pay Tor nus |
services makes 10 less probable that ne VIII |
neglect his patient.
flake this occasion 10 notify you my young |
friends. Of this bad treatment, so that you Will
not think your lot exceptionally hard. All your |
prcdeCGssOrs without one exception, have had the
same sad fate. Nevertheless l advise you 10 |
| love all your patients from tho start III VIII |
make your work easier and more pleasant pc
sides II Is your duty 20 trust though you may be
deceived. one OF the nfrmites or our nature IS !
to love change. People change butchers, |
grocers, druggists, and doctors without sense or
reason. Beware of those new patients who love |
you so much at first that they could almost eatyou
up. They will tire Of you very soon. never saw
an exception. IL shows weak head ana heutt' |
| But when you see gray-hairod men Shahge the the |
religion OF their fathers for new iaith OF which
they know little you must not be SURPRISED at !
younger peoples unsteadiness. SallustS charge |
against the people OF Rome II true of us today
| " CHpidus nOUdTum TcruHn." But must hasten |
II Ia great deal easier to give satisfaction 10
| sensible people, people who do not expect 700
much and who have some idea OF the ulnlcultles
| surrounding the practice OF medicine, than lgno-
! rant people who suppose you must know every |
| thing. No man IN any profession mas moro use
| for brains than the young doctor. lie must use |
| his reason, his best judgment In every case. lie
| has no experience. He has no flgut 10 guess
| There Ia 40 much obscurity so much OF action |
! and reaction OF one organ on another. 80 lnuch
| fear that the medicine may damage the dlgeS-
| ton rather than relieve the organ supposed 10
| be affected Tho whole process from beginning
| 10 end Is one Of pure mentation. Early IN ne
| happened 10 have remarkably clever patient,
| q man who would stand Ia the front rank IN tho
senate Of the United States or House OF Lords.
| lie had been out Of health some days and in-
| Qured what he had done for himself done Tor
myself" said he, why what do you suppose L
| what can know about physic?"
! But promised 10 speak OF n
DOCTORS SORROWS.
| To spend half Of ones life with the sick and
| dying would seem a sad fate. To have dozen
! people looking anxiOusly 70 you Tor health when
YOU know tits not in your power 10 give II. III al
our patients were Of this class sad indeed would
| be the life Of a doctor. A large majority OF our
| patients recover and the gratitude they show ~
! some offset for the death scenes we are compelled
| often 70 witness. II We practice medicine long
| time, however, We must outliYe most OF our Oest
| friends Those who gave US their confidence in
early life and maintained II 20 the END are m
deed levels We would almost give our NE Tor
| them. They are moro than patients they are
| dear personal friends whom We tenderly love ana
| whom we know through aud through. lhelr
| homes were our homes. For them We wcud
gladly "spend and be spent We know
| their constitution 80 well that we have
| little difficulty In giving them prompt re-
| lief but presently the time comes when medicine
| will do good no longer. Nature 10 failing anu Wo
see Il plainly, though We keep the sad fact from
| our friend, but his confidence is true to the end
4 He resigns himself TO hs late, II Christian,
| with cheerfulness There are some homes in
| this city sacred 10 me, and never pass them,
though 1t be Ia the small hours OF night Without
| remembering tho dear ones OF long ago. Blessed
| be their memory!
| A physician, now dead, said TO me: "Doctor,
| what do you think OF people whom you attend
| graiutOusly and cheeriuly when poor ana
| 20 soon as they get better OF get new doc
/ tor and pay him, too" | told him II was III
/ famous conduct He said he supposed the rea-
| son was that they could not display them-
| selves and make claims 70 Importance 70
| him who knew them well, but would do 80 TO
| the strange doctor who did not know thelr
| antecedents. This Is probably the true
| explanation. But the old doctor would re-
| joice with them in their prosperity ana continue
| true friend, which might not be the case with
| the new doctor. The policy Is bad, 10 say no
/ thing OF the principle. Another eminent doctor
long since dead, said 70 me sadly: " an, D0csQr,
| | only claim / am the family physician while
| In actual attendance on the case" IL IL sad 10
| recur 10 the cases Of ingratitude In doctors
| life. Some are almost incredible. attended
| poor mans family for many years. Inc iather
| was once 80 III for ten days with brain conges-
ton that IL took forty pounds OF ice daly 10 keep
| II down. Some time after this matters M
| proved and he set up a grocery ana Delhg de,
/ talned from dinner one day went In and asked
1 for ginger-cake 10 stay my hunger and had 10
1 pay my cent for IL. What made me remember
| it was that Is was the last cent ] had. Another
/ case OF a man whose family had also ATTENDED
/ for years for nothing Afterwards set up snan
| store on Main street. wanted one day twenty
fiye cents 70 get something at the Old market ana
stopped in 20 borrow It, but he ala not nave tne
| change In the draw" he said lie was guilty DOth
OF ingrntitude and lying. Both these men are dead
| The latter was young man. Similar cases
| might be multiplied. When az your age WOuld
| not have believed they were true, haTuly on any
| testimony. such cases are slckenlng dd ndu-
| sianl. Poor humanity No obligations can Dlnu
| some men, even though they extend pack TWO
/ generations. You may attend IAnets anu
L
| nothing, but the sons and grandsons VIII prefer
| other medical men 10 you. Don't Join societies
TO get practice. IL is not legitimate IN my opn-
| ion. Societies are not organized FOR that pur-
| pose. Certainly don't join the Church for any
i such object. This would be selling yourseh 70
| the devil for small price, especially II you are
/ Methodist. In a practice OF forty-three years !
/ have known Of but one decent doctor, am giad
i 70 say, who intimated In the most delicate way
/ TO a gentleman that he desired TO attend MS
| family. This Is saying a good deal Tor the pro
| fession OF Richmond. 1t gives me very great
| pleasure TO mako the statement. our profession
takes the highest ground on the subject OF seek
| ing business. BE sure not 70 make TOO many
visits. Be strictly conscientious in this matter
| But few words on more pleasant SUBJECT
soME OF THE PLEASURES oP a DOCTORS LIFE.
To be able every day you live to give
| relief from pain, TO quiet anxious fears OF
| mothers and daughters, 10 carry with
/ you into dark homes light and cheeuulness
| Is very delightful. Let me say IN paren-
| thesis, doctor should cultivate cheerful spirit
himself No man but a doctor can lie down every
| night OF his active life with the pleasant con-
| sciousness that he has been blessing 10 MS
fellow-man. It IL truly his business 20 go about
doing good" With all the desertions referred
| to, In the end you win probably have more true
Il frta -.f.IF-v nA hg9f u