Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1893-03-09
BENEVOLENT PHYSICIANS.
PUBLIC SERVANTS AS PUBLIC BENE-
FACTORS.

The Medical Fraternity Among the Noblest
Although Rarely Appreciated, their
Lives are one r aund of Constant Sacrifice
and Self.denial-The Brief History Of a
Country Physician, Who Has Seen Fifty
Years of Daily Practice.
OF all creeds, that of the real human
tartan deserves the name of Christian,
for the life of "Jesus of Nazareth" ex-
emplifed the fact that there could
be no Christianity without perfect, all
absol bling love for humanity. Not love
for it in its highest state, humanity,
pure, healthful and elevated but for the
"low-down," distressed, diseased, dy ing
and despairing thousands and tens OF
thousands, who do not even carry q
grain of thankfulness in their hearts
after the hour of timely succor had ale
Waited their stuff rings, or relieved their
wants. That class, who, when coming
to be comforted in their sorrow or loss.
being comforted, 60 away and immedi-
ately forget the comforter. The world
was full of them then, as the dark brow
of Calvary attested, and the blackened
universe at the crucial hour. 1t is full
of them to-day; and of allNclasses who
serve humanity for humanity's good,
those who heal it's diseases and relieve
its distresses, Of myriad forms, the
physician stands foremost.
We look with admiration at the SOL
der; we are enthusiastic in our praise
of his valor, his endurance and self-sac-
riice; we tell Of his hardship, his pri
walton and the terrible scenes through
which he must surely pass in time o.
col fllct, and it is right, emiDently so.
But his day are not all spent on the bat
I'll d. Id Or in the march; neither is h.
bound to serve every hour, or at all
hours, both night and day, at moment'l
notice. The exigences of war are fear.
full, but they are not of hourly occur
renee as they are likely to be in the life
Of a physician. Without giving the mat
ter serious thought, this may seem like
extravagant expressions; but those ia
miliar with the trend of medical science
and the march of its phenomenal prog
ress during lh- last half or even quarter
century, will say the case is mildly put
Medical practice has its heroes, not
trumpett d, a low, and its martyrs that,
although unrecorded in the annals of
time, have done that which will out-lasl
time and all its transient glory. The
good hey have accomplished for suffer-
ing humanity will only be revealed il
that hour when the liking of Kings"
and lord of Lords" shall say II was
sick and in prison, and We visited me-"
Have you ever given thought to the
great blessing of the power of an8st
les? Time was when, no matter how
severe surgical operation was to b,
performed, the patient must consciously
endure the exquisite pain of it, however
prolonged. We all know how utterly
impossible it is for the greater majority
to control themselves and not give ex-
preston to their agony and the self-com-
mand the operating SUI geon exercises is
wonderful in the extreme. How often
clan, shearlless ''no sympathy at all :"
he had as lief cut any one to pieces as
not" Do you know that this perfect
command of the nervous power, this
splendid self-control, is what saves the
patient terrible nervous shocks, and
often life itself? What courage would
the victim of serious surgical operation
have to face the situation, if the surgeon
in charge were "tender-hearted," and
.'coddliDg" and "babying" the patient?
Did you ever watch company of boys
fighting with snowballs behind the MINI
ic fort? They don't ask for pity, if they
do get sharp hit, neither do they make
up the snow missiles where it's warm
and comfortable, but just warm up to
the work, by their enthusiastic will, and
the blood in their veins tineles with a
healthy glow. Just after the same fashion,
the tue medical expert takes his
patient, so to speak, into the thick of the
fight and, by his own self-command and
courageous appearance imparts the same,
to those he has TO care for. Mothers
often display less ''neTve" in removing
q tiny silver from their child's finger
than physicians manifest after an intri-
cate, and DANCE rous operation in surgery
has been performed. Does your family
physician ofen cell you that he is dis
couragtd? Not he. Ii he did, what
would be the good Of his care? H.
knows perhaps that he has properly aud
faithfully diagnosed the case he is called
to attend; knows that he is doing all