The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-11
TRAIToRoUs DOCTOR.

Under the caption IA Traitor to the
Healing Trade" The Minneapolis Trib-
une has the following EDITORIAL:
A certain Dr. Beverly Robinson of
New York has published an article on
Prevention and Cure in the New York
Medical Journal, which Is likely to
bring the whole medical profession
about his ears. 1t is all very well to
generalize upon the duty OF both pa
tients and physicians to try to prevent.
disease. All well advised medical men
do that.
But this amazing iconoclast goes 80
far as to doubt the possibility OF cure
and the utility Of medicine and surg
cry in vast number Of diseases by
which thousands of worthy practition-
ers are maintained in comfort, IL not
luxury. The conclusions he announces
in relation to chronic diseases and
surgical operations are enough to de-
stroy the whole foundation OF medical
science as a gainful occupation.
To begin with DIR. Robinson insists
that most chronic diseases are incur
| able and that nothing more can really
be done for them than simple allevia-
ton and inexpensive nursing. Love,
sympathy and the hourly godly works
that proceed almost infalllbly there
from LIS what is above all imperativeiy
required" But these things can be
given by anybody without paying doc
tors huge fees for daily calls or trained
nurses a small weekly fortune for SIT
ting around and filling out charts.
The general adoption Of DR.. Robin
sons views would make an enormous
change in the practice of medicine. 1t
Is we'll known that few physicians Of
high standards and large practice re-
| fuse to waste time upon incurable
chronic cases, but their places are TAX :
en- by an enormous number, ranging
all the way from the avowed quack to
the young physician OF slender prac-
tice by whom their purses are tighten
ed If their hours are not greatly sooth-
ed.
/ One Of the most general and lucra-
tive Of the chorntc diseases under con-
slant observation in the practice OF
medicine is the time honored diseases
| of old age. 1t is impossible to compute
how many physicians who would
otherwise maintain themselves with
difficulty are sustained by the regular
remuneration they receive for listening
to futile complaints and giving useless
advice to persons who are SUFFERING
only in the inevitable course Of ma
ture. We may assume from DR.. Rob.
inson's iconoclasm In other directions
that he would destroy this source oil
professional income.
Most stunning Of all is the blow deait
4 az fha wary Hcxxrnr M s&,.Szry,, x,SgsSt
cal science namely, what is called
conservative surgery. 1t il bad enough
to declare that medicines strictlS
speaking are not curative agents witt
the exception Of few SPECIFICS. Thee
relieve suffering and ward off aynnp-
toms, but do not cure" But when Or
Robinson declares that in surgery
setting fractures, opening Diseases
and removing foreign bodies arr
among the few operations who's.
utility is certain" he declares war UP.
on q formidable army of cutters-ope
and sewers-tip.
This limitation excludes in the frs
place all of the internal operations tina
have been SO popularized by the dis.
eovery of antisepsis. A whole new
world Of science would be blotted olii
IL this daring innovator were allowed
to prohibit exploration of the abdonnin.
al tract. What Is to become Of til.
appendicitis cases, of tumors and can.
GERS and the parasitic growths tha
afflict the vital organs7 Or. Robinson
says that appendicitis can be prevent
ed by sensible diet and that cancerou
and other growths cannot be reail'
prevented or removed.
If this Ii true In any measure, tn
medical profession h levying an enor
nous tribute upon suffering humanit,
for service without va1ne. Ii not abso
Iutely injurious. Were this article no
in quotation marks from a reputsbl
medical journal. we would suspect tina
sensational reporting had done ID
Robinson an injustice But ne evident
Iy says what ne means and mean
what ne says.
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