The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-14
SURGERY GONE MAD.


With all due respect and apprecia.
ton for the surgeon, any sane person
who has watched the tendency of sur.
gerry during recent years must come
to the conclusion that money enters
entirely too much into the question
whether a surgical operation Is neceS.
sary or not Many Of the most intel.
ligent members of the profession are
alarmed at the wholesale cutting and
slashine by some of the least eX.
Perienced in their profession, Instead
OF educating the people into habits OF
right living, they see them violating
the laws OF health and developing in
themselves the conditions that make
surgical operations necessary If wa
were as careless in feeding our ami.
mails as we are in feeding ourselves IL
would become necessary to operate on
them as frequently as upon human
beings.
In our own region there is STAN.
pede toward the medical profession
because there is mony In the practice.
The conscientious surgeon or physi-
clan is deserving of the greatest re
spect and highest esteem of the pub.
lie but unfortunately there are too
many in the profession for the money
there Is in II,
DR.. Boyard Holmes. former secre-
tary of the American Medical asso-
citation and professor In the medical
college that the writer attended. said
In the Journal of the association.
Modern aggressive surgery has
mo 10 % oil int a tnl ha
temporary care Of the vivisected. All
that the surgeon cares for is a room
for his patient to occupy during the
three OF four weeks she is recovering
from the lucIsions She may then 20
home and get well, or lead a life of
inyalidlsm, as it happens. To cure
his patient and restore her 10 a life OF
usefulness and happiness Is not the
modern surgeons conception OF duty.
He looks at the invalid as an incum-
brance TO his hospital, and all the es.
sentials of recovery as unnecessary
expense and space-Consuming impedi.
ments"
The same outrage that is saddled
upon the Americans prevails in Eu.
rope. DR. James 4 Rigby of Preston,
England. says in one of their medical
journals,
Gradually, progressively almost
imperceptibly. there has OF recent
years arisen in our midst q new trl-
bunal and one moreover the great
power and far-reaching influence, this
tribunal is endowed with the power OF
deciding questions OF life and death,
and as at present constituted there is
no appeal whatever from It's decisions
which are practically immutable and
irresistible.
This terrible power Of life and
death is placed in the hands OF an
inexperienced youth. practically with
out any safeguard whatever, for after
the operation is over, provided the pa
tient dies. the operator merely re-
ouires to fill up form or certificate
furnished by the state, In which there
is stated the disease for which the
operation has been performed. the na.
ture Of the operation. more or less
explicitly expressed, with the fatal re.
suit There is an end of the matter,
There has arisen
class OF surgeons. mostly young men,
often inexperienced IN other safer
and more rational methods OF treat
ment. and above all quite callous and
indifferent to the true welfare of their
patients. whom they look upon merely
in the light of subjects TO be expert
mented and operated upon. These
surgeons. regardless of age or aEy
other deterring considerations. have
no hesitation in embitterlng the last
moments Of their patients by submit
ting them TO what are practically
homeless operations. often under the
specious plea of giving them
chance: thus what would be a peace.
ful deathbed scene becomes converted
into a seance Of operating surgeons
nurses. etc, TO whom the suffering
natient is merely an interesting case.
His obituary notice Is another record
in the case book Of the operating sur
econ. who. rightly from his point OF
view. has by constant repetition Of
such scenes. quite obliterated the