San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-04-02
IS A PHYSICIAN JUSTIFIED IN
ADVERTISING?

The question whether . physical
Is justified In advertising Is one tina
10 being discussed more and more ev
cry year. A generation ago the cod
Of ethics was adhered to by pbysi
clans In the city as we'll as Ia tn,
country, but at the present time tai,
musty code seems to be retained TO
the purpose of impregnating studen t.
and country practitioners with the
idea that to advertise is the greatest
professional crime In the med cal
calendar. We say the code seems to
be retained principally for the coun-
try practitioner because IL Is almost
impossible to find an energetic and
progressive city pra ;tiOner but
who Is connected with some
medical school, polytechnic, hospital
public or private dispensary, bathing
esta blishment, or some one or more of
the many insti utions, the majority
parently exist for the sole purpose of
booming the interested doctor.
This mode of advertising Is sano-
toned by the code. Another form of
advertising that is sanctioned by our
ancient code has recently become
popular, and like the above. is con-
lined almost entirely to physicians
residing In our large cities. We have
received during the past year or two,
many cards and circulars from city
physicians, calling attention to the
fact that they would in the future
confine their practice to diseases of
women; to eye, ear, nose and
throat; to nervous diseases, ETC., etc
The most modest of these cir
sulars informs the reader that the
doctor has all the most approved ap.
paratus for treating successfully the
diseases to which he confines his
practice, while many of them state, in
language intended for the public, that
by years of extensive practice in his
line the doctor is qualified to treat sue
cessfully cases not usually benefited
by ordinary treatment.
The above methods of advertising
are only two of several that might be
men toned that are allowed by the
code. Let physician place the same
matter in daily paper that he mails
to physicians and to the public in cir
cular form and notice how quick part
of the profession will commence to
kick, and it will also be noticed thatthe
kickers are most always engaged in
booming themselves In some manner.
So long as part of the profession are
allowed to advertise we see no reason
why all should not have the same
privilege. If physician is more
skillfu, than his neighbors 1t would
appear rational to any level headed
person that he was doing himself an
Injustice should he neglect to inform
the people OF his skill; provided he
could. 1t would also appear advisa-
BILE to reach the greatest number of
people with the least expense, and
the doctor who advertises In the
daily or weekly pape does 80
ut much less cost than by the
methods usually adopted. To in cor
porate a company, hire q room, get
out necessary eli culars, ETC., to start q
polytechnic, or some other of the many
that have sprung up
within the past four or five years.
requires quite a sum of money,
and the method of advertising
by professional circulars is al
SO quite expensive. Aside from
the few institutions that are started
and conducted for educational pur-
poses, the elaborate and expensive
methods of advertising are adopted,
not from any high moral principle, but
to simply keep within the rules pre-.
scribed by our ancient code The ply
stefan who booms himself in some in
stitution Is no more honorable than
man who places modest adver-
tisement in daily paper. No code is
required to teach an honorable man
professional courtesy, and a dishonor-
able man will not be governed in the
least by any code. We believe the tin Q
is fast coming when progressive phys
clans will feel at liberty to advertise
as freely as men engaged in other
business, and there is no reason why
they should not do so except the re-
strictions laid down In an ancient
code that not one doctor In ten has
ever read, but of which the average
physician stands in mortal terror.
y. M. Voughan, in Covert Medical
News.
-SHILOH'S CATARRH REMEDY. A