The Ordway new era., 1906-06-08

ease. or class of diseases. Compara-
| u'eiy lew physicians have the pecul-
iar aDility necessary for becoming a
successful specialist. The majority of
physicians will do better, especially
financially. to continue their family
practice.
/ regular family physicians, who are
not specialists. and who practice in
large cities. usually receive from 81
TO ~ per Office call. the majority of
such fees being 81: and from 81 to 81
Tor outside calls. the 81 rate being the
usuai one. The country center ply
sician seldom receives more than 81
Tor Office calls. nor more than 50 for
outside calls, although the most sue
cessful may command 80 for outside
visits. In some of the smaller places
the Office fee is as low as 80 cents.
and the outside call rate not higher
than 81 or SIPS.
Nearly every doctor OF ability can
earn his living. The specialist, II ex-
tremely skillful In diagnosis, or in
surgery. receives very large fees. often
running into the hundreds and even
thousands OF dollars. Yet few spe-
cialists are wealthy men. because II is
an unwritten law that the specialist
shall give of his time to cases where
there is little or no hope OF more than
ordinary remuneration.
| There is no profession. and there are
few callings. either of trade or of busl-
ness. which makes such demands upon
Its practitioners as does the medical
profession. The practicing physician
Is the slave OF his work: he is liable
TO be called any hour of the day or
night: In rain or in blizzard. The lit
tie time he has at his disposal he must
use for study. for without continual
study he cannot keep up with the
progress OF his profession.
Adaptability is essential to medical
success. Anyone can learn the ele-
ments OF the technique of medicine,
and surgery. almost anyone can be-
come book doctor" and any we'll
read book doctor can successfully
treat case when he knows exactly
what Is the matter with the patient
and what the patienes constitution
requires. In the skill at diagnosing
I lies the physicians real value. With
out this proficiency. he Is little better
than a medical book. Unless the boy.
some time during his common school
career. shows indications OF n dag
nostic instinct. he is not likely TO be-
come n good physician. and should not
be allowed to enter the profession
Mere scholarship Is not an indication
OF adaptability. While he must have
passed through the courses of medical
study. he must also have had actual
experience. hospital and laboratory
practice. and know. from observation
and from feeling. much that no book
or any amount OF theory. can teach
him.
II Is impossible to state with any
degree of accuracy the proportion OF
college educated physicians. but 1t Is
said at n venture that probably 60 per
Z cent. of our leading physicians are
graduates of the classical college. and
that about half of the rank and file
of doctors are college-bred.
| The medical school course Is from
3 four to six years. A college education
will prove of great value to the ply
/
sician. not because he will practice the
classics. but because he needs the dis
! cipline and the more general knowl-
edge which is not obtainable in the
common schools. It is true that many
of our most successful practitioners
I never entered college: but few. II any.
of them would refuse college educa-
ton II they could start again.
The business man can get along
without the college. The doctor can
succeed without the higher education.
but he will feel the lack OF It con-
stantly. He must pass through the
training OF an immense amount OF
study. II he does not do 1t In his
youth, he must do 1t afterward: and
It is much more economical to build
the general educational framework Of
success before one has established him
self in any calling.
George NJ. Gould, NJ. D.. Of Philadel-
phia. editor OF American Medicine.
and author of many medical works, In
a letter to the author says:
"The choice Of a profession is rarely
made by n young mans own free will,
and still more infrequently by n due
consideration of his peculiar fitness
for the special work. Whim, accident
and circumstances usually rule. Ply
sicians seldom advise their sons to
become physicians. since by the time
of the sons majority, life has demon
strated to the 40 or 50-year-old father
that the world has little thanks and
thought for the true doctor or his
work.
"For the sake Of decency, humanity
and medical art and science. do not
choose. do not allow young man.
whose character is Of the commercial
or politician, ambitious. selfish type.
10 choose the medical calling.