Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1903-05-14
Bellows Falls Times
THURSDAY, MAY IA, 1908.
The Non Catholic Doctor in the Catholic
Family.

Among Catholics sickness and religion
are intimately connected; the hand of
God is recognized in both; hence the
helper in one and the guide in the other
share respect and confidence given none
Others. A physician in any family is
frequently entrusted with its confidence,
its honor, and, at times, it's very exist
ence, and nobly has the medical profess
sion accepted the trust. In the Catholic
family the doctor is something more; to
him is not only intrusted the temporal
welfare of his patients, but often their
spiritual future is committed to his hands.
His professional ability may be ques-
toned by the Catholic; his professional
honor rarely. This being the case,a doe
tor who accepts call to a Catholic &C
cepts also the responsibility which that
Catholic associates with all sickness
With responsibility accepted comes OBJ
legation to meet it. Nowadays some
medical schools see to it that their stu
dents realize this responsibility and con-
sequent obligation, and all details are
duly explained. In the past it was not
so. For the benefit of those who have
not had this particular instruction we
give few hints for guidance.
-Four SacramentS of the church are
brought to the direct notice of the doc
tor attending the Catholic family: not al
ways at one time, but at some time or
other he is in certain way connected
with their administration. These are:
|. Baptism. Ii. Penance, (confession).
III. Holy Eucharist (Communion). ".
Extreme Unction (auointing)
To intelligently meet his obligations
HnRtnp c III oh
/. Baptism. The Catholic belief,
founded on the words of Jesus Christ, is
(a) that baptism is absolutely necessary
for salvation; (b) that the soul exists in
body before birth, and is capable of all
that the soul of the mature man is as
far as seeing God and understanding Him
in the Kingdom of Heaven; (c) that the
soul of the child who dies before or i'm
mediately after birth is just as much de-
pendent on baptism for it's eternal saliva
ton as the soul of the mature man;hence
the doctor called to a case of confine-
ment in Catholic family is expected by
that family to baptize the child before
birth, if it is reasonably feared it may
not be born alive, and after birth if i'm
mediate death is apprehended. For all
cases OF this kind it is simply necessary
that ordinary water should be brought
in contact with the body of the infant,
preferably, but not necessarily with the
head 1.-THE plaeenta is not portion of the
child's body, and say at the same time,
II baptize thee in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. -
All these words must be pronounced and
with the intention of doing what the
Catholic church requires. If a child is
born alive but in immediate danger of
death any Catholic lay person should adj
minister baptism; if none such are near,
then let the doctor do so. ..
The non-Catholic doctor should know
about
II. PENANcE. (Confession) Every
Catholic, even the most depraved, wishes
in case of serious sickness or accident
to confess his sins to priest, and there
by obtain pardon for them according to
the power given by Christ when he insti-
tuted this sacrament, saying, Whose
sins you shall forgive they are forgiven,
whose sins you shall retain they are
retained" Therefore the patients mind
should not be deadened by drugs or
anesthetcs until he has made his con
fession. He is perfectly willing to put
up with some pain in order to do this.
But if, as in a serious accident, it is nee
essary to administer an aneSthetic in
order by operating to save the mans
life, it can be done without waiting fol
the arrival of the priest, who, when he
does come, may abSolve and anoint con
ditionally and then wait for the man tC
be restored to his senses. Remember
Catholic is willing to suffer much pair
in sickness in order to make his confes
sion and does not wish his mind cloudeC
until that task is over.
Confession is generally followed by the
administration of
III. THE Holy EUCHARIST, which
the Catholic believes to be the sacrament
that contains the living body and BLOOD
of Jesus Christ, God and Man, under
the appearance of what looks to the by
stander as a small piece of bread, but
which the sick man firmly believes is
not bread but Jesus Christ himself under
this form. Hence, while he does not
expect from the attending non Catholic
doctor the same belief, he does expect
if the doctor be present. a respect fol
his belief manifested by decorous and
dignified bearing. AS regards the adj
minstration of medicines in the case Of
a seriously sick person about to receive
Holy Communion, the doctor is expect.
ed not to give any medicine that would
cause vomiting for at least 20 minutes
after Communion is received.
In the epistle of st. James, 5: 14-15,
are these words: "Is any man sick
among you? Let him bring in the
priests of the church, aud let them pray
over him, amounting him with oil in the
name of the Lord, and the prayer OF
faith shall save the sick man, and the
Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in
sins they shall be forgiven him." Cath
olics believe these words to refer to the
sacrament instituted by Christ and called
". EXTREME JUNCTION (the last
anointing.) The priest anOints, with the
holy oil consecrated by the bishop on
Holy Thursday, the five senses of the
sick person and reciteS over him the pre-
scribed prayers. 1t is not necessary that
the sick person be conscious to receive
this sacrament, hence in case of a grave
accident where haste is necessary the
priest can administer this last rite on
the street, by the railroad track, in the
mill, anywhere that the accident occurs
and while he is doing so the surgeon, if
necessity demands, may continue his
work on the injured person, but with
o,,+ Daa61aSS conversation that wOuId a a.