The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-13
Ethics and Ignorance.

When medical men get together we not In.
frequently see notices OF the subserviency OF
the members to the code Of " ethcs.'
The American Medical Association recently
met In Washington, and one OF the most
pro lnent things noted in the report Of their
meeting Is " ethics" The word seems 10 be
prominent one in the mouths Of many doc
tors, and even II they had the power to save
patient, 1t seems that they would not do so
except by an observance of the" ethics Of the
profession"
The "ethics" are few rules. which seem
TO be adopted for no better purpose than that
OF preventing truly able and we'll informed
physician from letting the suffering or aff1ict-
ed people know anything Of his leaning or
skill In the healing art.
We are further convinced that this rule
must have been adopted by, as 1t seems TO be
enforced by, the more ignorant and the Less
skilfull OF their profession, from the fact that
the more ignorant the physician, and the less
he Is presumed to know Of medicine, the
more certain he is TO have the word pat, ready
Tor use on any and all occasions. where there
may be q demand for reason and common
sense in the skilliul practice ofhis profession.
Did the reader ever see an " old field doctor"
who didn't talk learnedly on ethics, while
avoiding the question of medicine The ig-
norance of the man which would lead him 10
prescribe course of luna caustic for the pa
/. tient which he is almost sure to kill would
prompt him to prescribe ergot with
an equal recklessness which might
bring Immediate death, or entail untold suf-
ferlng on his victim, would prompt him to
talk learnedly about the ethics" Of the pro
fession Of which he knows 30 little.
While, OF course, there are honorable ex.
ceptions in both professions, yet we do think
that there Is a creator lack OF intelligence,
and greater lack Of keeping abreast OF the
times among the preachers and the doctors,
than In any other OF the learned professions.
AS a matter OF fact. there are preachers and
doctors who do not take or read single mag.
azIne or newspaper, except so-cailed
!. I" church paper" or an alleged medical jour.
nal. This class of so-called preachers and al
legged medical men, it may be, excuse them
selves from being informed Of the current
events Of the world, on the ground that they
are too busy, or are too much engrossed In the
practice OF their profession 10 read anything
but some antiquated textbook, or some al.
legged medical journal, whose advertising
pages and editorial columns are largely filled
with puffs OF quack medicines.
The spread Of the gospel and the saving OF
souls Is accomplished by practical methods
and the good results Of the practice OF medi-
cine are brought about not only ny theoret-
: ical knowledge OF men and medicine, but by
an actual acquaintance with both. SO we
think that 90 preacher and no doctor Is well
qualified for the practice OF his profession.
. who entirely cuts himself Off from the re-
Inainder Of the world. Such withdrawal
dwarfs the intellect, and limits the capacity
10 grapple with the great questions OF saving
souls and preserving human life.
Then, according to our way OF thinking, the
preacher and the doctor who reads and sees
nothing Of the world, except in his own mar.
row sphere, is poorly equipped for the prac'
tice OF his profession.
We do not know OF q single doctor, or Of
any preacher, who has attained eminence,
who does not read other books and other pa
pers than supernatural text books, and
humbug medical advertising sheets. There
fore, the preacher OF doctor who reads nothing
except professional books and papers, makes
a most damaging admission to the more in
telligent part of the community which he
serves. The day has passed when the learned
professions can rely for their success upon the
ignorance and superstition of the people.
From "ethlcs " and ignorant doctors may
the ministering angels defend US!