Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-17

this toast should have been assigned to
some of my married colleagues, as they
could give both sides of the question, and
then he might have had his wife write
his speech for him. Should a Doctor
Marry" Is n great question and to my
mind should be Can a Doctor Marry p
We belong to that great profession that
is poorer paid than any other profession,
and yet Of no profession is so much ex-
pected from charitable organizations,
| churches and societies
ITO a young man, ambitious to reach the
| top rounds of success in the profession, 1
would say, Don't marry 1t might prove
/ the last straw which broke the proverbial
camels back. And just think of mother
in-law. After night out at the club or at
| n stag party, think of meeting mother-in-
law on the stairs. And think of the hard
time you would have in making her be-
| lieve that you had been making n night
| cali OIL a sick patient. Ask the married
men, they can tell you how it goes
Dr.. Bannister Talks.
DR.. M. Bannister responded to the
toast Can a Doctor Tell the Truth
When Writing an Advertisement as
| to His Professional Ability?" DR..
Bannister said that he did not think a
professional man should hide his light
under a bushel basket. He enlivened
his talk with number of witty SAL
lies which were much enjoyed.
Father o'FarreIps Address.
"Mr Toastmaster, ladies and gen
tlemen: | thank you for the double
compliment conferred on me, by you,
this evening. To sit at this festal
board is a great privilege, but to be
permitted to address you here is dis
tinguished honor. For both l feel
grateful. The subject of my toast is
to me an additional pleasure. l am to
you about the blameless physician.
Il confess that / have a strong re-
pugnance to public speaking anywhere
outside of my own pulpit, and when
compelled so to do feel very ill at
ease and unhappy until am done and
until the agony of suspense is over.
But here l feel at home because you,
gentlemen, like myself, are the called
of God and belong to a profession
therefore my cousins by profession, so
| to speak, and are near to me and dear
to me.
More than forty years ago, when
was studying my Greek classics,
was fascinated by pen picture of a
physician drawn by Homer His name
the poet did not mention, but he told
of two of his sons, Podalinus and Ma
chaon, serving in the Grecian army
during the siege of Troy. These sons
were physicians and had been taught
| by their father a knowledge of medi-
cine and surgery. The poet speaks in
praise of their parent and gives of him
a character sketch, which is short,
graphic and most charming. He por-
trays him as being lofty in sentiment
philanthropic in deeds, devout in soul
and venerable in life. He represents
him as visiting the sick and prescrib-
| ing for them, giving comfort and
health to the afflicted and shedding
the sunshine of joy into mourning
hearts and homes. In a word he calls
him the blameless physician That
eulogy is worthy of the physician Aes-
culapius and of the poet Homer, and fits
very well to the people of your noble
profession throughout the world to-
| day.
"In the economy of Gods providence
the physician holds foremost rank
Before the spelling of Gods plans for
the race, there was not and was not
to be, sickness or death among the
children of men. Then the tree of life
was to replace and renew the wastes
and failures of physical being. But
when disease and death have come
into the world as consequence of sin
our merciful Father did not abandon
his children. In his creative fiat He
| had put medicinal and curative prop
critics into herbs, plants, trees and
minerals. After the fall He revealed
these properties to Adam and his pos
terity, so that on the earth and in it
they might find a remedy for every i'll
| that flesh is heir to- God did not rest
here, for it was necessary to study and
classify these remedies when found.
Hence the Almighty called into being
the office and vocation of the physi-
cian And therefore it is that we be-
hold in each worthy aspirant an apti-
tude, love and a desire for that eX-
allied office, and hence, too, we take
these qualities as signs of divine vo-
cation to the healing art Therefore
God gives to each chosen one the nee
essarry talents and endowments for
the fulfillment of the onerous duties
that may be his.
But our Heavenly Father did not
rest even here. He threw around the
physician halo and a glory above and
beyond position or wealth. He placed
in the hearts and minds of all men a
salutary respect and reverence for
him. Therefore it is that in all con-
ditions of society, in every country
and in every age of the world we find
| that the blameless physician ever and
| everywhere has been the most honor
ed of men. Indeed, wherever and
| a.=1