The Indianapolis journal., 1903-07-19
MEDICAL ADVERTISING.

a medical magazine tells a story Of a lay
periodical of high character which recently
asked a physician to write for it series
of articles on his speciality. The physician
answered that he would do so with pleas
ure. because it would give him perfect OPP
portunity 10 bring before class of readers
in great need of the instruction such truths
as would be of great beneft to them and
the community. He made but one condition,
which was that his name must not be pub
lished as author OF the articles. The editor
protested, very reasonably. that without the
name the readers of the paper would not
read the instructive matter. He also sug-
gested to the physician that the articles
would be a splendid advertisement for him.
This was fatal, the physician asking, if
this were so. what he, the editor, would
think OF the medical specialist who should
bring him such a frank advertisement for
his advertising columns. WAS the i'm
morality of the advertisement" he asked.
mot all the more heinous If to the fact were
added the universally detested hypocrisy of
the reading notice?"
these utterances of the physician and as
| sumes that his argument was crushing and
| conclusive, adding, with a significant air,
| that the articles were not written. OF
course they were not; no editor of common
sense would want them without the name of
a reputable physician attached Not only
would they not be read, but if read would
carry little or no weight unless given the
authority of a name. Doubtless physicians
are sincere in objecting to advertising them
selves, but the lay mind takes the privilege
of doubling whether the objection is due to
anything more than the necessity of keep
ing In good standing with the members of
| the profession. Opposition to advertising is
a time-honored feature of the sacred code,
| and so must be observed, but there is rea-
| son to suspect that more than one doctor
| who remains In the straight and narrow
way. with few patients, wishes he had the
courage of his convictions and dare tell the
| public, at so much per line. how excellent
| are his qualifications in the healing art
But even If formal advertising be objection
| able, this offers no excuse for a refusal of
II
| a physician to write signed article over
| his name. Nobody would mistake 1t for a
| wicked reading notice. Any one capable
| Of reading newspapers with half intelli-
gence is able to distinguish an advertise
ment even of this character from the news
and miscellaneous reading matter. More.
| over, If medical advertisements are ''im-
moral" what of the moral question in
| volved in the refusak> of a doctor to sign
| his name to an article containing informa-
| ton which, on his own admission, the pub
| lie needs? No one knows better than he
| that his name would add a weight and value
| to what was said-would add all it's value,
| since readers, ignorant of such matters.
| would not accept the information offered
without authority. He knows very we'll that
| he would not send an anonymous prescrip-
| tion to a patient and expect him to take 1t.
/ Then why should he expect the public to
| swallow anonymous medical advice? When
he has an opportunity to instruct the pub
| lie is it not his moral duty to rise above
| personal scruples and above the code and
| give that instruction with all the authority
| Cf his name and reputation? o. course it
| Is, and he knows it, and anything lie may
| say to the contrary will convince no one.