The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-13

The newly fiedged physician who has
successfully passed his examinations. and
who, possessed OF the required diploma
and abundant and up-to-date knowledge
OF pathology, theory and practice and
therapeutics, essays TO make living,
will not struggle long in his endeavor TO
build lucrative practice before he dis
covers that there were omitted from his
college curriculum several topics which
play an important part in his life, and
that every day emergencies arise concern
Ing which he is woefully ignorant. The
political economy OF the medical life Is
not taught in our schools today, yet 1t Is
as important factor in the successful
pursuit OF our profession as any branch
which receives more attent ion land as most
men practice medicine for the livlihood
1t gives them, ii would seem logical TO
give medical students such instruction as
will enable them to cope successfully
with the various difficulties.
The retail druggist who cordially invites
his prescription trade, keeping him well
supplied h.assorted pads, and leatheret
cases, and tempting him by occas ional
invitations into the back room where.the
choicer drugs are kept, seems a friend
indeed; but when he finds that he Is in
the habit of prescribing his own cholera
drops and cough mixtures 20 the custom
ers vino come into his store, and that
many times a would-be patient Is in
u
medicine to be detriment not only OF
the patient, but the doctor as well, ne
suddenly runs up against an element OF
practice which was not taught in college.
III he endeavors to dispense his own
medicines the druggist takes 1t as an
affront and decries him IN unmeasured
terms. Later, he calls in a brother prac-
titioner as consultant, who greets him
kindly, but keeps the case; and still later
he learns that in a certain case he was
desired in consultation, but this same man
refused TO meet such young and mex
perienced man.
Again, he finds that while bis textbooks
advise him fully as to the proper method
of treatment in difficult surgical pro-
cedure, they do not tell him how TO meet
such opposition. After y few months ne
finds his books plethoric with charges,
and needing new suit of clothes he
politely invites payment from his
phase OF successful practice which has
been omitted from his education.
So with his relations to the local medi-
cal socety Is 1t wiser to sit quietly and
listen to others exeriences and be called
dull and ignorant, or to venture an
opinion and be termed forward and ac-
cused of seeking notoriety?
How to meet the patronizing air OF the
man who is doing ten thousand a year,
and who promises to send him case,
but don't, and the man who invites him
to assist in an operation and neglects to
pay him for his services how to meet
the hospital abuse which saps the vitality
of his early practice how to greet the
reporter who wishes TO write up an ac-
cident case to which he was called, how
TO attend church without being accused
of making q Dld for practice and how to
stay at home without incurring evil re-
marks; whether il is better to own q
team and a debt with the reputation ota
growing business, or to go on foot WIKI
the slander of implied poverty thrown at
him-sl these and thousand more are
the difficulties a man has to meet without
preparation or precedent. Why not teach
him in college something else than dry
facts?