Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-17

Human nature and liberal TO prodigal
lily in its its benevolences. 1t is liberal
in every relation of life-except in its
dealings with its own members; but
here, on occasions. it is intolerant TO
the point of bigotry and resentful to
the point of vindictiveness.
Two Standards of Right.
1T is a fact of familiar knowledge
| that offenses committed by physicians
against the public conscience may be
easily tolerated by their own organic
atoms; but offenses against the tech
nical standards OF the organizations
emselves-although quite unnoticed
| by the community at large-are liable
to severe and lasting penalties, especi-
ally if the culprit be of humble rank
and without friends.
Among misdemeanOrs of this kind
we find advertising in the public
prints; the exploitation of remarkable
cures and operations: the holding of
patents on articles used in the practice
of medicine; the pretense of possessing
an infallible law of cure: and the ac-
ceptance by physicians of commissions
on their prescriptions, or on needed
appliances which they are instrumental
in selling, or on the fees of surgeons
received for operations on the physi-
clans patients.
Such acts are always small and sur
Righteousness makes them mean; but
[ fail to see in them convincing proof
of gross moral obliquity. Most of them
are quite compatible with honorable
standing in the community; and yet
they are stigmatized, and properly so,
by the unanimous vote of the organic
ed profession of the country, as 'derog
atory to professional character and
incompatible with honorable standing
in the profession and, hence, are
subject to penalty within the organiZa-
ton and profession itself.
The penalty usually inflicted is os-
tracism-that is. the offender is re-
fused membership in medical organic
ations-or. if already a member, he is
expelled; and the punishment is of I'M
limited duration.
"On the other hand, when physicians
violate the public's standards of NOR
ality and thereby bring upon them
selves public disrepute, their profess
sional standing, nevertheless, may be
safe from challenge in medical organic
atoms Such discrimination is neither
creditable nor defensible.
Such a CODE" he said, should aim
primarily at the characterization and
unification of the entire profession.
1t should be free from excuses of ev-
cry kind 1t should maintain high
moral standards unrelentingly and
;,1 g., hot
of high degree and those of low de-
gree: and it should have due regard
for popular opinion in respect to such
standards. Concerning hayward breth-
rem, applying for recognition, it should
eXemplify the proposition that Chair
ty suffereth long and is kind 1t should
contemplate their tranSgreSsions with
indulgence and regard every applica-
ton for admission to a society as, at
once. a plea for pardon, and a pledge
of future loyalty; for no man seeks
membership in an organization, and
still less does he fight for it, without
a genuine desire to haze it, and a gen
uine intention to conform to its re-
quirements. \ life sentence of Ostra-
cism should never be inflicted for mere
technical transgressiOns, nor for any
others except such as constitute prima
facie evidence of depravity of heart"
strictly Ethical
This evening the physicians will be
taken on a river excursion To Grand
Island. where a smoker and vaudeville
program will be enjoyed. The boat
will leave Rock Island about o'clock,
but those who desire to go down later
can do so by way of Davenport and
tho suburban railway.
The ladies who are in attendance at
The convention were permitted To visit
he places of interest in the locality
this morning by a drive
Mrs c. Bernhardi is giving a re-
ception this afternoon TO visiting la
dies at her home, Sixth avenue and
Eighteenth street. She is assisted in
receiving by Dr. Emily Wright, DR..
Emma Morgan Mrs. Craig. Mrs. Come
gys. Mrs. Eyster. Mrs. DeSilva, Mrs.
First. Mrs. S. b. Hail. Mrs. b. +. Hall,
Mrs. Ludewig and Mrs. Sala.
a delightful dinner party was given
at the Rock Island Club this afternoon
to a number of the visiting physicians.
The members of the Rush Medical
college alumni enjoyed lunch together
at the Hotel Harms today.