Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-06-17


paid at all. A half-starved woman
comes out from the low tenement house
into the 6iSpensary, and nuwraps the
rags from her babe. a bundle of ulcers,
and rheum, and puStutcS, and over that
little sufferer bends the accumulated
wisdom of the ages, from ESculupius
down IL last weeks autopsy. In Que
aiSpeusary, in one year, Toe 600 prcscrip'
tons were issued. Why dc | show You
what God has allowed this profession
to do? Is il To- stir up you vanity9 Oh,
no. The day has gone by for pempous
doctors, with conspicuous gold
headed canes and powdered wigs,
which were the accomplishments in the
days when the barber used to carry
through the streets Of London DIR.
Brockleshy's wig 10 the admiratioh'
and awe of the people, saying: Make
way. here comes DR.. Brock lrSbv's wig"
No, announce these things not only
to Increase the appreciation of lavmen
in regard to the work of physicians.
but to stir in the hearts of the men of
, the medical profession feeling of
gratitude to God that they have been
allowed to put their hand to such II
I magnificent work, and that they have
been called into such illustrious COM
pany. Have you never felt n spirit of
gratitude for this opportunityH DO
you not feel thankful now? Then |
am afraid, doctor, you are not II Cnrt>-
tian, and that the old provrrb which
Christ quoted in His sermon may he
! appropriate to you: "rhysician, heal
thyself."
Another reason why think the med
ical profession ought to be Christians
is because there are 81 many trials aud
! annoyauces in that profession that
! need positive Christian sulacc, | know
you have the gratitude of a great many
good people, and know it must hc a
grand thing to walk iutelligcntly
through the avenues of human life,
and with anatomic skill puisc yourself
on the nerves and tibcrs which cross
and recross this wonderful physical
system. l suppose skilled eye can
see more beauty even in malformatlon
than an architect can point out in amy
of his structures, though it be the very
, triumph of arch, aud plinth, and aba
Gus. But how many annoyanceS and
trials the medical profession have. Dr.
Rush used to say, in his valedictory
address to the students of the medical
college: Young gentlemen, have two
pockets, small pocket and Il big
pocket; II small pocket in which 10 put
your fees, Il large pocket In which to
put your annoyances
Again: The medical profession ought
to be Christian because there are pro-
fessioual exigencies when they need
God, Asa's destruction by unbcssed
physicians was n warming. There are
awful crises in every medical practice
when a doctor ought to know how to
pray. All the hosts of ills will some
times hurl themselves on the weak
points of the physical organism, or
| with equal ferocity will assault the en-
! tire line Of susceptibility to suffering.
| The next dose of medicine will decide
| whether or not the happy home
| shall be broken up. Shall it he
| this medicine or that medicineP
/ God help the doctor. Between the five
| drops and the ten drops may be the
| question of life or death. Shall il be
| the five or the ten drops? BE careful
how you put that knife through those
| delicate portions OF the body, for il il
swing out of the way the sixth part of
an inch the patient periShes. Under
such circumstances physician needs
not SO much consultation with men Of
! his own calling us he needs couSulta-
| ton with that God who strung the
nerves and built the cells, and
| swung the crimson tide through
| the arteries, You wonder why
! the heart throbs-why it seems
! to open and shut. There is no wonder
about it. 1t is Coils hand, shutting,
| opening, shutting, opening on every
heart. When man comes to doctor
the eye, he ought to be in communica
ton with Him who said to the blind:
"Receive thy sight" When doctor
/ comes to treat II paralytic arm, he
| ought to be in communication with
| Him who said stretch forth thy
! hand, and he stretched it forth"
When man comes to doctor bad case
OF hemorrhage, he needs to be in COM
munication with Him who cured the
issue of blood, saying: Thy faith
! hath saved thee"
But | must close, for there may be
suffering men and women waiting in
your office, or on the hot pillow, won
dering why you don't come. Bat be-
fore you go, o, DOCTORS hear my prayer
! for your eternal salvation. Blessed
will be the reward in Heaven for the
faithful Christian physician. Some
/ day, through overwork, or from
bending over patent and catch
q ing his contagious breath the doctor
comes home, and he lies down faint
and sick. lie is too weary to feel his
own pulse or take the diagnosis OF his
: own complaint lie is worn out The
! fact is his work on earth is ended. Tell
those people in the office there they
/ need not wait any longer; the doctor
J vii! never go there again. He has
writteg his last prescription for the
alienation Of human pain. The poo
pie viii run up his front steps and in
7 quirt; How is the doctor today"
! All the sympathies of the neigh bor-
hood WIN he afou.ad md 1bnra Will I'm