The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-27

is not natural for one whose income Is
precarious and dependent upon the mis-
fortune of others to desire that misfor-
tune will not come to others.
1t is not intended to convey the inn
preston that all doctors or even a ma
Jority of them fail in honest dealing with
their patients because their interests are
antagonistic. Many men enter the pro-
fession with a heart full of love for suf-
fering humanity, believing it to be a
grand and sacred privilege to relieve
distress wherever found. If the sufferers
are poor and cannot compensate him with
money as well as praise and well-Wlsh-
ing, ne becomes so crippled financially
that he cannot live and spare the means
to supply himself with books and instru-
ments to keep abreast of the times. I'm
der such conditions, if his pride exceeds
his benevolence, his noble sentiments
grow less and he looks after the dollars.
The accumulation of money is not al
ways an easy matter. Most men Spend
their entire energies that way with
meager success. Money getting is
most serious drawback to the physician
who is enamored of his calling, whose
chief pleasure is to cure people, and this
is the only kind of man who ought 10 De
allowed to practice medicine.
With the question of money left out,
there are very many things that serl-
ously interfere with the individual doc
tor being what he ought to be or treat
ing those entrusted to him with the care
and solicitude they ought to receive.
Paradoxical as it may appear, the
good in human nature is often Just as
harmful to a doctors and patients in
terest as the bad. One of the most dlt-
feult and trying positions a doctor can
be placed in, is when he ought to have
consultation. The times often arise
when he is uncertain as to the trouble and
consequently at sea so far as treatment
is concerned. He knows the natural
tendency of disease is to recovery. he
knows if he calls in some other doctor
to help him. the patient will take alarm,
perhaps lose confidence in him especially
should recovery follow. He further
knows that the chances are the doctor
| called in will somehow manage to whis-
| per in the family ear that he was sorry
| he was not called sooner. This is the
| most damaging remark that could be
| made so little said, yet vast deal I'M
piled. Under such conditions a doctors
| path is indeed thOrny. The safest way
he can see out of the difficulty is to take
| chances on natures curing the patient,
keep the friends and family cheered up
and if death appears to be inevitable
| tell the family to call in other help II
| they desire it. The consultant will then
share the responsibility, get nothing but
! his fee and all hands will be satisfied.
| The corpse says nothing.
| Even when the attending physician al
lows his anxiety to get the better OF
! him and calls in another doctor he fares
| badly so far as his personal interest is
| concerned. We will illustrate by two
| circumstances. patient went to Wash
| ington. N. c., stopping at the hotel to be
under the care of a local doctor for an
| operation. The doctor requested a medi-
cal friend who was stopping at the
| same hotel to see the case with him.
I Result-the patient was more impressed
| with the medical friend than with his
own doctor and urged him to take the
case This being refused, he became
upset refused to be operated on and
went to Baltimore to have the work
done.
| Another case occurred in KinstOn, N
| C. The family doctor on two or more
| occasions called in a consultant Re-
| covery followed each time. The family
was urged by the consultant not to
| change doctors, but they insisted oil
doing so, giving as a reason that if the
| case was a bad one the cOnsultant was
| called anyway, and they might as well
call him first as last
| In most of these instances the deep
personal interest of the attending physi-
| clan worked to his own disadvant-
| age Knowing doctors as we do, we
think one should stick all the closer to
| the mans who will call for aid as soon as
| he sees danger signal.
| Another of the difficulties in the way
| of the doctors is the private malice Of
! individuals and the emssarcs of other
doctors. Any old snaggled tooth granny
| can ruin the reputation of the best doc
| tor in the world by telling how rough
| he u.s. Some scamp who could and did
not pay his bill will say, Il used to have
| him in my family | have DR.. X. now
and like him better" Every community
| has a number of people, some of them in
good social circles, who pay for their
| medical services by drumming for some
| particular doctor and telling lies on the
| others.
may be, if he has not the worldly wis
dom to tread his path of thorns without
too many pricks, he will surely get left.
| If doctors salary and duties are fixed
by law, his interest then becomes the
public interest and he will have the ac-
tive cooperation of the public in stamp
| ing out disease. Every inducement to be
| a rascal would be removed and it would
| be his greatest interest to cure people in
| his care as rapidly as possible. His
work would be lightened and his pay not
decreased Men would then stand on
| their merits and be judged by men of
| their own calling, the only ones capable
of correct judgment. The busiest con-
sutant would then be known as the
wisest and most skllful doctor.
II. o. HYATT, NJ. d.
Kinston, n. c., April 26