The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-06-04
ETHICAL MEDICINE.
Paper Read Before East Missis-
sippi FOur-COunty Association
in Aberdeen, May IL, 1909.
BY DIR. IT. #. KINNEY.


approach to the ideal that excites
our admiration and causes our
sense Of appreciation to feast as
at banquet. 1t is the other ex-
IRENE that converts our appreciation
into disgust. When we observe that
all are charmed by the personal and
ife of all his glory Of lofty qualities.
It causes us to enumerate the items
that compose the breach between
him and the man or beast at the
other end Of the ladder.
When the American Medical AS
ISOLATION. many years ago, formu-
lated and adopted a code of Ethics,
it was to meet conditions existing at
that time and to provide definite
rules to be applied to the settlement
Of the varied questions which were
likely to arise among members Of
the profession, and which. without
the existence Of such rules, would
tend to disturb their peace and har-
m0ny. Distances were great with
ont the means of communication
we now have, Medical schools were
not plentiful as now, and often the
ability to obtain a medical educa-
ton, was restricted to the few. In
consequence of these facts, numbers
who chose the medical profession,
especially in the rural districts, had
never partaken of the advantages to
be derived from a regular medical
education.
As a matter of fact it was neces-
sarv to have a set of rules for their
guidance. Professional ethics is sim
ply and purely good manners. I'll
it's enforcement cannot be secured it |
has not, nor can it have, any more
universal binding force than the
primitive measures provided. To |
the man of refined sensibilities it
will always be subject to evasion |
and frequently TO willful violation.
The lack Of binding force of all eth |
ical rules because of the difficulty of |
enforcing them viii be encountered |
always. Law, even backed as it is
by the authority of the State, an
evasion of which may subject the in
dividual to humiliating and severe
punishment, is constantly evaded, |
and ethical rules without means for
their enforcement are not only evad-
ed but openly violated. 1t is abso-
lutely necessary, however, that the
many questions which arise among
members of the profession should |
have some mode of action distinct |
and definite. The doctor who comes
out of college with mercenary mo-
tives uppermost in his mind is sure
to worship at the shrine of selfish
ness and narrowness as he grows
older, until at his death he is recOg-
nized as one who did not truly be-
long to his profession and should |
not have been a member of his cOun-
ty or State organization, and a large
per cent of the practice he had done
was of such character that we'll bred
physicians would hesitate to touch.
Nothing pains the true physician
more than to see that depraved and
selfish nature getting control of
member of our chosen profession
In the nature of a true Doctor self
ishness has no part. For love of
humanity he gives up the dearest
relations of life; he has very little
occasion to indulge in social pleas
ures. The structure whether it be
an humble hut or magnificent
mansion goes TO make up the COM
ponent parts of the true physician S
life.
1t is chiefly relative to consulta-
tons that any specific rules are nee !
essary. Why the well bred physi- !
clan would hesitate to consult with I
or prescribe for patient nnder the [
care of another is not understood by I
the laity. The great respect that
was once accorded the medical pro- e
fession has been lost through the I'M '
holy influence of simply the fact $
that the practice has become to a
large extent a trade. To make his /
influence felt the competent medical n
man asks for no means that are a
1t is almost impossi- e
bic to scan the columns of news u
paper without seeing the account of t
accidents or operations in which c
some member of the profession is v
not mentioned. Everything of this h
character is indeed foreign to the d
the code of ethical medicine. t
A form of commercialism that is s.
destructive to the honor and dignity n
Of the profession is planting adver- n
tisements through the press. Il
Medicine is a liberal profession Il
and the members thereof may pur- o
sue any methods of therapeutics they 81
may elect. Every fad in medicine fl