The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-29
PERSONAL EQUATION
AMONG PHYSICIANS
1T Is SOMETHING THAT HAS TO
BE REcKoNED WITH.
why Is II Thatof a Given Number OF
Practitioners Equally Informed
in the Technique of Their Profess
sion, Some will Succeed While
Others Will Fail.

Others Will Fail.
At tho recent session in this city of
the Interstate Homeopathic associa-
tion, DR.. j. 7. Greenleaf, of Owego,
N. Y, read a paper upon The Per-
sonal Equation" which seemed
worthy of circulation among laNmcn
Below are it's substantial portions:
with his eye rivetted to the sreFllcr
end of the mighty tube of the largest
telescope in the world, sits an old Aan
gray-haired and bent with gears of
study, but with his mind trained to
observe the celestial bodies, and to
calculate the grand cycles of the
swinging planets.
The giant machine is fvcl on It's
axis, and it's lateral motion is inhibited,
and it is trained ON pay of the
heavens In which a star is expected to
appear. Slowly the distant globe cir
cles into the telescope field; when it
reaches the exact center, the VCnor-
able man withdraws his gazr from
the eye-piece and notes the exact min
ute, second and hour on The dial of
an accurate clock but between the
time at which the star crosses tn Civ
looks at the clock four second inter
Venc.
In a far away land, i'm an obsarva-
tory supported by a patcrnal govern
ment. sits a man Is years of age. His
eye is bright his face uuwrinkled,
his shoulders square and his figure Is
upright and faultless. He, tools watch
ing the same planet, and is report
ing the time of it's crossing tho meri-
dian. Between the critical moment
and the time that his lips report the
fact, three seconds intervene.
One some lone isle of the northern
seas. there is a party of savanta. srnt
ny the government Of Queen Victoria
to observe some stellar phenOmcno on
Their instruments are small enough
TO be portable, but still accurate. and
scientifically adequate for the work in
hand. The one man who looks through
the yellow tube. rcluires only two sec
onds to report whas he sees.
THE PERSONAL EQUATION
All these men are trained observers.
all are anxious to be exact and def
mite, but they are human, and it takes
Just the time above for the brain of
each to formulate ana express the
word that announces that the impact
of the waves of light is perceived by
the retina. new world may be dis
covered, or an old and well worn the
ory may be Slbstan'iated; i'm either
case, 1t takes just the time mentioned
above. This two seconds. or three
seconds, or four seconds, is the ner-
sonal equation of each man.
In other matters, and on other err
rands, each man has his Deculiarities
his personal equation" Some cynic
has said that every man has his weak
spot and one optimist has declared
that every man has his good side.
For today. then, let the SN llOgism
stand thus; major premise, every
man has his personal equation; minor
premise. physicians aIe men: conclu-
sion, physicians have their personal
equations. The important problem is
this: given a number of good men
tall the graduates of all the medical
schools in any one year, for ins stanccD,
accept the poStllate that all arc equal
ly well equipped for their work, both
IN personal address, in requirement,
in the theoretical as we'll as clinical
department, that all nave a fair start
In the wide world of the sick and
suffering, why is it that of the gross
number only 2S per cent. ever sue
ceed as physicians, either in theil
ability to cure the sick, to snatch
deaths victims from his grasp. to win
and hold the respect and confidence Of
the community, or tC make a living
for themselves and families.
MEN DIFFER AS MEN.
1t is manifesty idle for the writer
OF this paper to say to body of in
telligent, well read and practical men
like this, that to diagnose the case
venture careful prognoss, give the
necessary advice as to antisepSs hy-
eiene and care, and to prescribe the
right drug, or perform the correct
surgical operation, is by no means all
OF the science of medicine, or the art
of surgery. All this is requisite tC
success, but it is not what makes the
successful physician. Without consid-
ering each mans personal equation, -
1T will be impossible to suggest the
cause of failure, or to indicate the
foundation OF success in a given case
In the cases cited in this paper, each
astronomer knows his personal equa-
tion, and that figure is deducted from
every report that he makes.
Other things being equal, the first
and most important thing is to know
ones personal equation" How
quickly does the community learn this
and how readily do they discount what
a physician reports! The man who is
given to sombre IDEAS and to gloomy
prognosis is rated as an alarmist
while the happy, merry careless man
who is always hopeful. is given al
the confidence he deserves, but ne
more.
ADJUSTMENTS.
Just here comes the delicate task o
touching and commenting upon tn
doctors amusements, horse racing, bal
games, golf, billiards, card, swappin
yarns in saloons and cigar stores. pho
Biography, microscopy, chemistry, bot
any, ceramics, literary work, all @
these are the well known methods q
Knitting up the ravelled sleeve q
care" in use by physicians. There /