Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-10-11
The Surgeon and the Public.


In nearly every journal of Medicine
or Surgery" there is today Il strong
plea for conservatism in surgical
practice. These articles of warning
to wouldbe surgeons do not fall under
the eye of the layinen. us they should,
and by this failure the public remain
ignorant of the alarm that prevails i'll
the ranks of careful, conscientious,
conservative surgeons There is a
mighty hiatus between d mere operator
and a surgeon. Because Il man has
| operated upon a person under the guise
| of surgery it is no proof he is capable,
| or that the operation done was one Of
| necessity. There is no part of the pro-
| fession of medicine of such trans
| ccndant Importance as the department
| of surgery. Because of the greatly
| improved methods and means brought
| about by such men as PaSteur, Lister,
Billroth and others, surgery has been
robbed of half Of its terrors; it has also
| made it highly dangerous because so
| many who are ignorant of surgical
| diagnosis perform operations wholly
| unnecessary, and which had better De
| left undone. The unnecessary opera
! tons are so common, and many so
| grave, that all through our country
our leading surgeons are writing in the
| strongest language against indiScrimi-
| nate operations that are degrading the
| profession, destroying the comfort and
! symmetry of the patient, and entailing
| a host of miseries that might, but for
| ignorance or avarice have been saved
both mental and physical torture of an
| operation. not to mention the mutill-
| ton and deprivation of important parts
| or organs
Is this too dark Il picture? Ask the
| leading men who adOrn our profession
by their great skill. their large
| humanity, their integrity and philan-
| throphy. Said the great German
| surgeon Billroth; Before deciding on
| the necessity Of an operation l always
| propose this question to myself
| Would you permit such an operation
as YOU intend performing on your
patient to be done on yourself? Years
and experience bring in their train a
| certain degree of hestancy."
| In an address recently given by one
of our most eminent physicians DR. r.
| III. Fitz, he said With due appreciation
| from the surgical invasion of the
| border land. there still exists sufficient
| reason to progress slowly and cauti-
| OuSlE. Operative success is not neces-
| sarily a justification for the operation
as has been repeatedly recognized by
| those VINO are brought in contact with
| Its failures. The removal of d,
| diseased part. or a diseased organ may
| dispose of the result. but not of a
| disease 1t is time that these burning
| truths should be made known to the
people and that an education of re-
| form should be inaugurated by tn,
| dissemination of that kind of know1-
| edge which accepts no mans dictum
| who has not attained to a position IN
his profession by his proven knowl-
| edge, his rational conservatism, and a
sense of honor and responsibility COM
mensurate with high demands of con-
Servativp surgery.
! In ever case having surgical as
poets. there are associated with it
questions that should be met and an
Swered in such a way as to meet the
| most sensitive conscience, and briu"
an assurance to the mind of patient
and surgeon that the proposed opera
| tlon Is hrst. necessity; second that
L offers the only chance, and that the
issue. without interference is against
the patient. There are questions Of
expectancy and necessity; one may be
safely left for time to determine. the
other admits of no delay, but often
does involve the highest conserva-
tism. as to how much shall be done.
| q s-r-
method will hest fulfill the object i'm
| view. There ara 50 many qualities of
character essential to successful surg