Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-10-02
THE COUNTRY DOCTOR.
10 Is Probably as Competent and VOL
Sch0olcd as His city Brother.

10 Is Probably NJ Competent and VOL
schooIcd as His city Brother.
There is no question that comes to us
oftener than the inquiry as to tho
standing of some advertising or travel
ing medical humtug or for some city
physician to whom the inquirer can APP
ply for treatment. Simply because q
doctor practices in the city is no guar
antee that he is any better than the
village physician in some out-of-the-way
place. 1t is true that he may have
larger opportunities to see disease and
larger opportunities to experiment with
it. But all the advance in medical
practice is described in the medical
publications, and the country physi-
clan, if he is studious, has full oppor-
tunity to learn what is being done, aud
how it is being done in his profession.
The city and country physician start
upon a level. Both, perhaps, gradu-
ated from the same school; both have
attended the same clinics; both have
studied the same authorities. Now,
supposing that both are equally studi-
GUS, the only possible difference that
can ever be between them is that
the city nan may have larger expert
ence in the treatment of disease. But
it must be remembered that the coun-
try physician treats the very same dis
eases that the city physician does; and
with his medical publications before
him, he will probably reach as great a
degIee Of skill in any class of cases, by
the treatment Of a few, as his city
brother will in the treatment of many.
1t is also true that in the city there
are physicians who make Especial study
OF certain classes of diseases, and IN
such cases it would naturally be ex-
pecicd that they would reach a higher
degree of proficiency than the physician
of general practice. But the country
physician will always send the patients
to such practitioners if he finds it nec'
e5sary. If it is a disease Of the eye,
and it is Of serious character, the ply
stefan will recommend an oculi,t. 1t is
possible that he may recommend doc
tor who has made lung diseases a spo'
cial study in cases Of that character.
But it is a very serious mistake to sup
pose that city physicians know every
thing or that the country doctor is nee
ossarily deficient in knowledge. We
have friend who has daughter that
was severely affected with what seemed
TO be a skin disease. lie employed Il
large number of the best physicians in
Chicago, some of them noted special
lists, but q cure was not effected and no
good at all was accomplished. The
girl was sent to the Hot springs and
there she was not at all benefited. In
a vi it to a little country town, where
the physician, We have no doubt, was
not considered any great shakes" she
was taken unusually sick and the
mother had no other resort than to call
the modest country doctor. He came,
examined his patient aud learned OF her
long and apparently incurable disease.
He said he did not think that any of the
physicians who had been employed had
discovered the disease at all; that he
believed that he knew what the trouble
wa, and that if the mother desired he
would make an examination, and If he
was found to be correct in his suppose
ton he could affect a cure. The exam
nation was made, the trouble found,
an operation performed, and the girl is
as sound as a dollar to-day. After the
expenditure Of hundreds of dollars
upon renowned city physicians, the par
onts of this daughter learned at last
that an unknown country physician was
more skillful than all of them put to-
gether.
The lesson that we would teach is
that people should consult their home
physician first. AS rule he is neigh
Dor and knows the habits and weak
nesses Of those who apply to him. This
gives him a great advantage The best
physician in the world prescribe' in the
dark unless he knows all about his pa
tient. Nine times out of ten it is prob.
able that the home doctor will do just
as we'll as the city doctor. If he finds
that he cannot manage the case he will
call in assistance or send the patient to
some one in whom he has confidence.
Doctors in the city are doing this all
the time. In all serious cases they con-
suit with other physicians. There is
no swindle that is so easily perpetrated,
and there is none so mean as swlndles
upon the sick. Health and life are so
very precious that the sick are readily
imposed upon. Every quack knows
this and he makes the most of it. Tho
homo doctor, as rule, can be trusted.
He will be honest with the patient, and
that is q good deal more than the
strange doctor often is.