The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-06
DIFFERENT DOCTORS.
Rhysicians OF the Radical ana nlys-
tioal Schools.
%hrir Methods In tho Treatracnt or THOR
C~sos amt Personal bearing Toward
Their Pationts-Phy.iolanse Faith
In Themselves.

nv Not the Regulars and the Homeo-
paths Discussion as to thcir respective
snerits Is quito as much out of plaoo
nowadays rs heated argument on the
claims of CalvaniSm and hrniuianism.
People hold their medical faith at tho
prcscnt day, through no exercise OF the
reasoning faculty. but by sheer pig
headcdness. as tho old thcologians wcro
wont to hold their dogmas; and they on
tertain toward patrons Of the opposing
school, whatever it be, q contempt COM
pared with which tho 'odium theolog-
acun," is as brotherly love. Tho two
schools to which reference is now to be
mado arc not recognized in tho cyclope-
Elai nor among tho profession; but thoy
exist oil tho same, and tho limo which
separates them Is drawn clearly and
sharply across all tho old medical scots
and 'pathics."
There arc all sorts OF good names for
Chose two classes Of the medical faculty,
writes Arthur Il. Bostwicll i'll the New
York Saturday Rcview. We may call
Sbom tho Reconcile and tho Familiar;
Shc Mystic and tho Prank; tho Grandlose
md the Simple: or tho reader may
choose now designation to suit him
self Tho physician OF tia former
school or class bears the same relation
90 his patients that IN oracle OF old did
90 its suppliants. Ills uttcranccs are
positivo-oftcn monosyllabic. His man.
ncr leads you to conclude ut onco that
bo knows absolutely what ails YOU
at a glance. or at least NV tho
aid OF few ekillrully. directed
questions. His bearing .is commonly
high and mighty; il no dcsconds to
familiarity it is only too ovidcns to
Sboso about him that he is conscious OF
the vastncss OF such q descent Some Of
6hc most skillful and ablo physicians
On the various branches OF tho profession
are numbered in this class, and it is not
80 DO denied that tho effect Of their
Bearing upon certain kind OF patient
lis beneficial. Some people like to havo
authority cXcNiGod over thom; they
3iko To feel that they arc in tho hands
oil one Eroatcr than they, who holds
over Thorn tho wand OF lifo or death,
and by n twist CT 1t can kill or cure.
They do not want 10 know what thcy
nro taking. II they arc told aught
nbout their ailments they wish it 10 DO
donc in tho most learned language pos
Siblc; tho moro Latin tho bottcr Pa
dicnts of this class arc largely OF tho
gcntlcr scx, but plenty OF Tho so-cullcd
Stcrncr son arc TO DO found in It's ranks.
Tho other school OF medicine acllnov:l-
edges. 10 start with, that physician in
Tarcly certain in his diagnosis; that no
must usually experiment lit,lo at
FIRST. lie tells his patient nj tho outset
all hc knows Of tho case, outlines tho
prospective treatment. with I'll it's pos
6ibilItics OF change, and, in short. takes
the patient into tis confidence. His
nannor is FREQ from grandeur, authority
or mysticism, and his language is col
1oquial and simple.
1t is n disgrace tc tho human racc-
hut We shall DO forced TO admit it-that
for probably tho majority OF patients
shis kind or treatment, carried to its
3orical end. will rot do ut all.
Only man OF tho greatest GOOD
scnso. combined with high cduca-
fion and liberal culture. can profit
by the extreme variety OF this treat
mont; and even such ono, under
tho pressure OF physical pain. may ro-
vort TO tho condition Of tho majority.
In practice most physicians of Tho
school. much as many OF thcm would
like to DO consistent and logical. nro
forced to adopt halfway course, lean
ang moro or less toward the mysticism
and grandloquencc OF the opposite
party ~ skillfui practitioner will often
vary his manner and methods according
to his patient, THIS achieving tho best
Ycsults
Therefore, in practice. thoro is a
pretty even graduation from tho cxtromo
mystical to the extreme radical ply
Bician, even some OF tho former admit
ding the theoretical correctness Of tho
radical views, but maintaining that
they arc not practical. 1t must DO nj
mittcd, howcvor. that most OF tho mrs
tics appear, outwardly ut least. to havo
complete confidence in themselves. and
to licvo fully In tho prctcrnutural
powers they seem to claim. Whatever
they may confess TO themselves in the
Bccrtt rcccSSos OF their professional
closets. the public never hears them
acknowledge oven tho possibility OF
their making Is nislakc ii tin disease
does not yield to their Establishments
whether allopathic. homeopathic. &C
lcciic or hcrbalistic--so much tho worse
sor tho disease. lot ii he nnathcma for
exist ng when it ought not to exist IL
the treatment be altered, thcro is no nc
acknowledgements that a now theory CT tho
ailncnt is to DO tested; tho patient is
led u infer that tho change OF medicine
is part Of u plan formed within The dcop
rcccs.cs OF tho mystic's brain at tho out
set
HInz .r.'g sic,norr.
1t is told OF Mozart chat when ho wac
fourlecn years old lie heard in EOriO the