The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-27

most sacred relations of life he sees men
and women in their hours of weakness, sees
thrown by disease, sees them when the in
tellect is so shattered and enfeebled by dis
ease that its mastery Is lost and ignoole
passions rule unchecked and unreStrained,
and there is, therefore, an imperious neces-
sity that he should be a man OF stern in
tegrity and stainless purity. The most deli
that it feels "a stain like a wound is as
necessary TO the true physician as sunshine
confessional is not always one where Sc
crets are Willingly revealed, but Is often
one where the dsthroned intellect or the
disordered mind makes men and women re-
veal that which else no mortal ear had ever
heard. Things are heard by him which the
speaker would not have voluntarily given
utterance to though death were the penalty
of silence. But not only does the physician
hear what in health would have remained
unspoken, for from many lips he hears vol
unfairly revealed secrets that the world
should never know. He hears of infirmitieS
that if known would bring his patient to in
fanny and shame. he hears that which If
revealed would destroy the peace of fami-
lies and wreck many lives He holds often
death itself. for in his hands is the power
to conSign his patient to a fate a thousand
fold worse than physical death. Only the
lofty integrity and exalted honor is fitted
for profession demanding such high quail
ties and imposing such grave responsible
ties a does that of medicine. The phySi-
clan in whose mind dwell coarse thoughts
not only dlshonors noble profession and
glorious past, but he also puts snares about
his own feet which sooner or later will be
the means Of casting him headlong into
clan who is true to the ethical laws of his
profession and to its tradition is a benedic-
ton. and he who lives it crowns himself
and those to whom he ministers with
fading blessings.
THE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES.
1.-The ethical principles woven into the
mental and moral organization of men are
like threads of gold woven into gross
fabrics, they remain bright and untarnished
throughout all the years, while the baser
parts grow dark and moldy in decay. Men
whose thoughts and actions are influenced
by sound ethical principles are men whose
virtues everyone may see. For my part, /
have little patience with those who talk
slightingly Of medical ethics. / believe in
them. 1 believe them sound in theory and
physician knows of medical ethics and the
more closely he adheres to them, the better
he will be fitted for the higher duties of
his profession. Results are proofs. No body
of men have more complete system of
what venture to call practical ethics than
the physicians of this land, and am sure
1 am safe in saying no body of men Of
equal numbers Is more highly respected or
more generally beloved. 1 know that the
term beloved is a strong one, and knowing
this choose 1t purposey and with the in
tent to use it in ali it's strength The physi-
clan who for long years has come to you
and to me through storm and sunshine, who
has stood at the bedside when the cry of
the new born broke the silence of the
darkened chamber, who has cheered us by
his presence in the dark hour of sickness
and gloom, who has been with those We
love when human skill availed not and
death came, is the man or all men to whom
our hearts go out in friendship close akin to
love. He has had our condolences, he has
known our weaknesses and our follies. our
f0rt III Attr fvlG nrd trr1ao h0
been the soul of honor. No trust betrayed,
no confidence wronged, nor duty violated.
1t is no wonder that men and women, and
children, best judges of all, do him
homage and in their hearts regard him with
abiding and loving tenderness that years
6a as tbeT w n9r age the a9y 9re
Great Healer climbed the mountains of
Judea and walked in sorrowing silence on
the shores of the silvery Galilee, the Be-
loved Physician
Following the address of Judge Elliott
the Ahrens quartet, composed of Mrs. Geo.
l.. Raschig, Miss Josephine Robinson and
Messrs. William Daggett and Louis Do
chez. sang the "Arion Waltz by Vogel
In response to a hearty encore they sang
Dreams" by Strelezki
DR. KITCHENS ADDRESS.
The address of DIR. John NJ. Kitchen, on
behalf of the board of trustees, was then
delivered He spoke follows: --
by authority vested in me by the trus-
tees ana faculty OF the MEDICAL college,
of Indiana it becomes my duty TO confer.
on each OF you the degree of doctor of
medicine 1t is certainly great pleasure
TO congratulate you, one and ALL on the
attainment of such honor. for the knowl-
edge. you possess is invaluable whether you
sion or not A physician or surgeon gains
self-reliance-meets success-chiefiy because
Of his familiarity, with anatomy his abn..
ity to press his fingers on any portion of
the human body and know what tissues or
organs lie beneath. and can it be denied
11o~ loo &c 1.la 70
son. be he lawyer, priest or iayman? For
instance what would be thought of the
ne ss y ds ko vo his at the
object of his choice, and at the same time
with. impressive gesture place his hand over
Scientific investigation has shown medi-
cine. its true function. namely. the pre-
establishment of national State and local
boards of health
Experience has also demonstrated chat
many diseases are self-limited, have def
mite course to run, and usually terminate
in health without. medicine Of any Kind
have also proven that there are remedies
Of priceless value to conquer ram, control
conclusion is Irresistible that such results
embrace two factors. namely nature, the
ordinance Of Cod and art. the creation
cit is the intelligent reliance on one and
rational practice of the other that distin-
euishes the physician from the charlatan,
is not now and never can be a system that
will furnish a specific for every inalady
an unfailing remedy for every injury,
anodyne for every pain, an antidote for
every sorrow. God alone is omnipotene. The
life of general practitioner is one full OF
care and responSibility-one that involves
self-sacrifice beyond all other pursuits
Still many of his dearest associations are
connected with families whose confidence
and respect he has long enjoyed. The pres
ent graduating class is an unusually in
telligent one, each individual reaching a
high standard of excellence in all branches,
especially in anatomy which, as heretofore
minated, Is the foundation of the whole
structure of medicine. A diploma is sim
ply certificate of qualification, which each
of you has fairly earned, but 1t cannot be
too strongly impressed your memory
that your education, instead Of being lin
ished, has only fairly begun. In conclu-
sion we extend to you all a fraternal greet
ing and cordially welcome you to the hon.
orS OF the doctorate."
each graduate given his sheepskln neatly
rolled and tied with blue and yellow rib
bon Following the comforting of the de-
grees came the award Of prizes
THE COLLEGE RECORD.
The Medical College of Indiana has grown
to be a State pride, and the personnel of
tie graduates last night not such
to bring any abatement Of the pride OF the
citizens in the school. Nearly three
fourths of them were graduates from uni
versities. 1t was a pioneer in the West
and it's graduates now number more than