The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-12-05
ATEXT WITH A MORAL.
uLet not Him Who Putteth His
Armor on Boast Like
II m Who Taketh
it off," OF.

Some days ago it was recorded in
the columns of local paper with
much of circumstance that
capital operation, having name of
learned length and laundering sound.
had been performed in this city by
surgeon of some local celebrity with
Two assistants therein named and des-
ignated.
We were assured that it was
nothing less than veritabIe
'fLaparotomy," whatever that
Gay be, and We we're vouchsaied
the further gratifying Intelligence that
the patient had rallied beautifully,
and would no doubt Immediately set
about getting well in spite OF the
operation and the name to boot.
since that time we have occasionally
.crutiniZed the columns OF the SAID
local paper. and, having discovered
no further reference to the sub
,ect, We took il for granted that
the patient was travelling the
highway to recovery. Last Sun
day. however, another local paper
with unsophisticated candor di-sipated
that illusion by informing a con-
fiding public that the patient was al
ready dead and buried.
The circumstance calls to mid
somewhat similar incident in the ca
reer of another distine uisbed 'ph,vsi-
clan and surgeon" now residing IN this
city. Some years ago while practising
in a neighboring town he had what he
called every interesting case,
which he was afterwards de-
scribing with much of YER
bosity and particularly to a
senior practitioner, who heard him
through to the end with patience and
courtesy, and then, after pause, IN
nocently inquired:
1.-The patient, how Is he Z"
Oh" replied the narrator. 81 Tor
rot to mention it he's dead.
1t amuses the old doctor to repeat
this anecdote even unto this day.
Apparently the most serious draw
hack to these "interesling" cases at
.Laparotomy" is that as performed
in this latitude at all events
they all seem to die. The
informant at my elbow counts up on
his fingers about halt dozen OF Item
performed by one operator within a
wear or two in this locality with
uniformly fatal result.
Now the moral to he drawn from
these object lessons would appear to
he one or the other of two. Either
,Laparotomy," SO called, had better
me given a wider berth for season,
ut least, or the doctors, given
20 indulging in it may we'll suspend
their publication in the newspapers.
1t has been said by persons cynlcallyy
disposed that one of the immunitle'
Of the medical professions is that thu
doctors nay hide all their bad job
under the ground.
If this be SO, why not avai
themselves of SO convenient privilege
and escape censure by escaping OBJ
seryationl Really the ephemera
notoriety they acquire by beins
exploited in the newspapers hardl,
commentaries them for the anim-ad
versions to which they may rende
themselves obnoxious: besides TIL
p.actice is in itself uncI,..cai, unpro
fs.sional, is condemned by the unite
voice Of the profession and reiegatc'
10 the domain of qnackery ever.
where EXCEPT r,s ut here in Scda.ia.
The spec.ous plea That it Is the re
,orters who are to be blamed tor
ayails, only partially, for it is pref
ty we'll understood to be done wit!
their sanction connivance, since th
reporters in Seslalia are not accu'
toned to rush inwhen they arc quit
unwelcome.
At all events may We not haze
respite on "Laparutomy, Or els
adopt it as method
capital punishment instead OF e'e'
trocution: if not and 1t is coi
:ayious, or likely to become ei
demic, give Us notice, so that we ma
fold our tent like the Arab. and
silently steal away.
PHILIP QUILrET.