St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-07-10

.TURDAY, JULY 10,
Ing scientific attendance. Dispenlariel
and inRrmaries everywhere under the
control of the best doctors, some ol
them poorly paid, some of them NO,
paid at ali. A half-starved woman
comes out from the low tenement hous>
into the dispensary, and unwraps thl
rags from her babe, . bundle Of ulcera
and rheum, and pustules. and over that
little sufferer bends the accumulated
wisdom Of the agea from Esculapiua
down to last weeks autopey. In onl
dispensary, in one year, 100, 600 prescrip'
tions were issued. Why do show you
what God has allowed this profession
to do3 Is it to stir up you vanityr Oh,
no. The day has gone BY for pompoua
doctors. with conspicuous gold
headed canes and powdered wigs,
which were the accompaniments In the
days when the barber used to carry
through the streets Of London DR..
Brocklesby's wig, to the admiration
and awe of the people, saying: make
way. here comes DR.. Brocklesby's wig.
No. I announce these things not only
to increase the appreciation Of 1aymen
in regard to tho 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 .
magnificent work, and that they have
been called into such illustrious COM
pany. Have you never felt . spirit Of
gratitude for this opportunityr Do
you not feel thankful now? Then I
am afraid, doctor, y0u are not . Chris
tian, and that the old proyerb which
Christ quoted In His sermon may be
appropriate to you: "Physician, heal
thyself."
Another reason why think the med
ical profession ought 70 be Christians
is because there ore % many trials aud
annoyances in that profession that
need positive Christian solace. know
you have the gratitude of . great many
good people, and 1 know it must be .
grand thing to walk intelligently
through the avenues Of human life,
and with anatomic skill poise yourself
on the nerves and Abers which cross
and recross this wonderful physical
system. l suppose . skilled eye can
see more beauty even in malformation
than IN architect can point out in any
Of his structures, though 1t be the very
triumph of arch, and 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 . big
pocket; small pocket in which to put
your fees. . large pocket in which TO
put your annoyances
Again: The medical profession ought
to be Christian because there are pro-
fessional exigencies when they need
God. Asa's destruction by unblessed
physicians was warning. There are
awful crises in every medical practice
when . doctor ought 70 know how to
pray. All the hosts Of ills win 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 win decide
whether or not the happy. home
shall be broken up. Shall Il b
this medicine or that medicine3
God help the doctor. between the Ave
drops and The ten .dr6tA 11v. be the
question Of life or death. Shall It be
the five or the ten drops? Be careful
how you put that knife through those
delicate portions Of the body, for if it
swing out Of the way the sixth part Of
m inch the patient perishes. Under
such circumstances . physician needs
not 90 much consultation with men Of
his own calling as he needs consulta-
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 Gods 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 70 the blind:
Receive thy sight" When . doctor
comes to treat . 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 b
suffering men and women waiting in
your Office, or ON the hot pillow, won
1ering why you don't come. But be-
lore you 60. o, doctors. hear my prayer
Tor your eternal salvation. Blessed
will be the reward In Heaven for the
faithful Christian phymcisn. Some
day. through overwork. or from
bending over patient and CATCH
ing his contagious breath. the doctor
comes home, and he lies down faint
md sick. He is too weary to feel his
own pulse or take the diagnosis Of his
own complaint. He is worn out The
tact Is his work on earth II ended. Tell
hose people in the ohice there they
need not wait any longer; the doctor
will never 60 there again. He has
written his last prescription for the
Of human pain. The peo-
pie will run mp his front steps and In
luire: .'How Is the doctor to-day1"
All the sympathies Of the neighbor>
hood will be aroused, and there will be |
many prayers that he who has been
70 kind to the sick may be comforted
IN his last pang. Il Is all over now.
In two or three days his convalescent
patientA with. .shswl wrapped around