The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-06-11

| SdhC a nasty lunCl dI anu
on the Sabbath they make up for their
six days abstinence by especial gor-
mandizing. which before night makes
their amazed digestive organs cry out
for a doctor. And that spoils the
evening church service for the physi-
clan.
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, and then they run
for the doctor. The slight fever which
might have been cured with foot
bath, has become virulent typhus, and
the hacking cough. killing pneumonia.
As though a captain should sink his
ship off Amagansett, and then put
ashore in a yawl, and then come to
New York to the marine Office, and
want to get his vessel insured. Too
late for the ship, too late for the pa
tent
Then there are many who always
blame the doctor because the people
die, forgetting the divine enactment:
1T is appointed unto all men once to
1 OACs hC 4dbhCI III W AlO ill
nounced the fact that he had discov>
cred the art by which to make men in
this world immortal, himself died at
AZ years of age, showing that immor-
tally was less than half a century for
him. Oh, how easy it is when people
die to cry out malpractice" Then
| the physician must bear with all the
whims, and the sOphistries, and the
receptions, and the stratagems, and
the irritations of the shattered nerves
and the beclouded brain of women,
and more especially of men, who
never know how gracefully to be
sick, and who with their sail
waited mouths curse the doctor, Civ
ing him his dues, as they say
about the only dues he will in that
case collect. The last bill that is paid
is the doctors bill. 1t seems so inco-
herent for restored patient, with
ruddy cheeks and rotund form to be-
bothered with bill charging him with
old calomel and jalap. The physicians
of this country do more missionary
work without charge than all the
other professions put together. From
the concert room, from the merry
party, from the comfortable couch on
cold night, the thermometer is five
degrees below zero, the doctor must
go right away: he always must go right
away. To keep up under this nervous
strain, to go through this night work,
to bear all these annoyances, many
physicians have resOrted to strong
drink and persisted. Others have APP
pealed to God for sympathy and help,
and have lived. Which were the wise
doctors. judge We?
Another reason why the medical pro-
fessiOn ought to be Christians is be-
cause there opens before them such
grand field for Christian usefulness.
You see so many people in pain, in
trouble, in bereavement. You ought
to be the voice of Heaven to their
souls. Old DR.. Gasherie De Witt, prac-
titioner of New York, told me in his
last days: Il always present the re-
ligiOn of Christ to my patients, either
directly or Indirectly, and l find
it is almost always acceptable"
Drs. Abercrombie and Brown. of
Scotland; Drs. Hey and FOthergill, of
England, and DR.. Rush, of our own
country, were celebrated for their
faithfulness in that direction. 'Oh,"
says the medical profession, that is
your occupations; that belongs to the
clergy, not to US" My brother, there
are severe illnesses in which you viii
not admit even the clergy, and that
patients salvation will depend upon
your faithfulness. With the medicine
for the body in one hand and the
medicine for the soul in the other, oh,
what a chance! There lies a dying
Christian on the pillow. You need to
hold over him the lantern of the
gospel until its light streams across
the pathway of the departing pill
grim, and you need to cry into the
dull ear of death, ''Hark to the
song of Heavens welcome that comes
stealing over the waters" There lies
on the pillow dying sinner. All the
morphine that you brought with you
cannot quiet him. Terror is in the
face. Terror in the heart. How he
jerks himself up on one elbow and
looks wildly into your face and says:
Doctor, can't die; am not ready to
w hOJ LudhCS IL ~ udIhs OOCbOIs
can you pray?" Blessed for you and
blessed for him if then you can kneeI
down and say: 80, God, have done
the best 1 could to cure this mans
body, and have failed. Now 1 COM
nit to Thee his poor, suffering and
affrighted soul. Open paradise to his
departing spirit"
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. But 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 bend
ing over patient and catching his
contagious breath, the doctor comes
home, and he lies down faint and sick.
He is too weary to feel his own pulse
or take the diagnosis of his own COM
plant He is worn out. The fact is his
work on earth is ended. Tell those