Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-06-11

o
monts in tie days when the barber used
to carry through the streets Of London
DR.. BrockelsDy's wig, to the admiration
and awe Of the people, saying: Make
wayl Here comes Dr. Brockelsby's
wig" No; | announce these things net
only TO increase the appreciation Of
laymen in regard tC the work Of physi-
clans, bat TO stir in the hearts Of the
men Of the medical profession a feeling
Of gratitude to God that they have been
allowed to put their hand 10 such a
magnificent work and that they have
been called into such illustri0us COM
pany Have you never felt a spirit Of
gratitude for this opportunity: Do you
not feel thankful now: Then. | am
afraid, doctor, you are not a Christian
and that the old proycrb which Christ
quoted in his sermon may Le appropIi-
ate to you, Physician, heal thys IT, "
Another reason why think the med
ical profession ought 10 lie Christians Is
because there are 80 many trials and
annoyances in that profession that need
positive Christian solace. | know you
have the gratitude Of q great many good
people. and | know it must be a grand
thing to walk intelhgcntly through the
avenues Of human life, and with ana
tonic skill poise yourself on the nerves
and h.ers which cross and Tecross this
wonde rful physical system. / suppose
skilled eye can sce more beauty even in
naiIOrmation than an architect can
point out IN any Of his structures.
though il be- the very triumph Of arch
and piiu,h and abacus But how many
auu0yauccs and trials the medical pro-
fe-s.on Lave! Dr.. Rush used 10 say in
bis yalcaictory address to the students
of the medical college, young goutle-
men, have two poc6ets-a small pocket
and big pocket, a small pocket in
which 10 put your fees, a large pocket
in which to put your annoyance"
In the first place. the physician has no
Sabbath. Busy merchants and lawyers
and mechanics cannot afford 20 be sick
during the secular week, ami so they
nurse themselves along with lCzenges
and horehoun1 candy until Sabbath
morning comes. and then they say, l
must have a doctor. And that spoils
the Sabbath morning church service for
the physician. Besides that, there are a
great many men who dine but once q
week with their families. During the
secular days they take a hasty lunch at
the restaurant. AID on the sabbath they
make up for heir -ix days abstinence
by especial g0rmandiZing, which. before
night, makes their amazed digestive Or
gans cry out for coctor. And that
spoils the evening church service for
the physician.
Then they are annoyed by people
coming too late. Men wait until the
last fortress Of physical strength IS
taken and death has dug around it the
trench Of the grave, ard then they run
for the doctor The slight fever which
might have been cured with a footbatA
has become viTulent typhus. and the
hacking cough killing pneumonia. As
though captain should sink bis ship
of Amagansett, and then put ashore IN
a yaWl, and thea come TO New York to
the marine Office and want to get his
vessel insured. Too late for the ship,
too late for the patient
Wise Doctors.
Then there are many who always
blame the doctor because the people
die, forgetting the divine enactment,
1T is appointed unto all men once 10
die. D." The father in medicine who an
nounced the fact that he had discovered
the ant by which TO make men in this
world immortal, himself died at ~
years Of age, showing that Immortality
was less than half a century for him.
Oh, how easy it is when people die 20
CRY out, Malpractice. - Then the ply
sician must bear with all the whins,
and the sophistries, and the deceptions,
and the stratagems. and the irriCations
Of the shattered nerves and the becloud-
ed brains Of women, and more especially
of men, who never know how graceful
" to be sick, and who with their sali-
waited mouths curse the doctor, giving
him his dues, as they say-about tho
only dues he will in that case collect.
The last bill that is paid Is the doctors
bill. Ii seems SO incOhcrCnt for a re-
stored patient, with ruddy cheeks and
rotund form. TO be bothered with a bill
charging him for old calomel and jalcp.
The physicians Of this country do more
missionary work without charge than
all the other professionals put together.
From the concert room, from the merry
party, from the comfortable couch on
cold night, when the thermometer Is
A .e degrees below zero, the doctor must
20 right aWay-he always must 90
right away. To keep up under tins ner-
vous strain. TO 20 through this night
work, 10 bear all these annoyances,
many physicians have resorted TO strong
drink and perished. Others have appeal
ed to God for sympathy and help and
have lived. Which were the wise doc
tors, judge ye;
Again, the medical profession ought
TO be Christians because there are pro-
fessional exigencies when they need
God. Asa's destruction by unblessed
physicians was a warning There arc
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 entire
line Of susceptibility to suffering. The
next dose of medicine Will decide
whether or not the happy lone shall be
broken MP. Shall it be this medicine or
that medicine? God help the doctor
Between the five drops and the ten
drops may be the question Of life or
death. Shall it be the five or the ten
dropsg BE careful how you put that
knife through those delicate portions OF
the body, for if il swing out OF the way
the sixth part of an inch the patient
perishes. Under such circumstances
phvsician needs not so much consulta-
ton with men Of his own calling as ne
needs consultation with that God who
strung the nerves and built the cells
and swung the crimson tide through the
arteries. You wonder why the heart