The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-30
The Family Physician

lies down stairs, quite ignoring other
members OF the family putting on his
hat as he descends the door steps.
having spent three minutes and thirty
: seconds on the call. jumps into his
painting auto and dashes of. to the
next case and so ON through the en-
tire days work. In the course of IL
he attends two or three consultations,
gives his opinion with clearness, sa :
gacity and conciseness and il off
again. At the close of the day he
hands over his crowded visiting list to
his clerk and feels well satisfied with
Z his days work. And well he may. As
diagnostician and prescriber. pure
and simple. he has done his duty
faithfully. He has prescribed judi
ciously and as the event will probably
prove with excellent results. he has
! done nothing to mar his bright pros
poets and has. maintained his standing
as profound thinker and brilliant
practitioner among his fellows.
But what has he accomplished to-
ward establishing kindly relations
with the father and children of his
families and becoming an integral
part of the family life. Has he not
been little more than demonstrating
and prescribing machine doing his
work with mechanical precision. but
leaving no more trace of his person
atty than would perfect piece of
mechanism?
In order that the physician may
WELD the influence that he did of old
and regain his place of authority in
the community | would suggest in
contrast to the last picture the pos
sible days work of enc who might be
a happy medium between the worthy
of the by-gone centuries whom our
friend so delightfully."- recalled In his
lecture. who practiced the art of med
icine. and the modern man who prtc
tees the science as well as the art.
During his office hours he would give
each patient his sole and individual
attention. OF course. he would have
lost no time in answering the call to
the sick mother. Knowing the father
intimately he would have had
friendly word with him. promise to
see him again and let him know the
character of his wsfe's indisnositon.
He would make "A mental note of the
condition of the children as he passed
them with a friendly smile. He would
have taken his seat quietly by the pa
tents bedside and would have studied
her case In a comprehensive way. al
lowing her to tell her story and so
getting side lights on possible COM
plications OF which the present attack
was hut a manifestation. His prsscrip-
ton for the immediate. Illness would
be accompanied by advice calculated
to prevent a recurrence of the attack
and the visit would have left sense
Of confidence and repose in the mind
of the sufferer such as whilrwind
entrance and exit would never give.
Leaving the sick room he would vol
unfairly seek the head of the house,
would have relieved his anxiety as to
his wife's illness and given him such
hints as occurred to him as to his own
conduct in the care Of her health. He
would inquire with regard to the
health ana constitution of the chill
dreu~ and. If there We're indications of
lack of vigor or faulty development
In any of them. he would cause such
child 10 be brought To him and sub
iect II to careful examination. As
a result OF this 9reeaution a COM
mencing curvature of the spine may
have been detected. or ii malformation
of the chest. which. neglected. would
furnish conditions to invite tuhercu-
losls. At the next house the sanitary
conditions in and about the home
would come in for an inspection, and
some covert source of disease, such
as Ii neglected or hidden drain.
might be discovered. which would
throw light on many inexplicab.e ILL
nesses +, :he house.
''Of course all these subjects would
not be discussed at one visit. but il
would he the habit of mind of the
physician To be ON the alert for the
discovery of any conditions that might
influence the health of the inmates
uafavorably. In other words. he
would not consider that his response
bility ended in prescribing a pill or
potion in an individual case of sick
ness but would constitute himself the
jealous guardian of the health of the
entire family
The confidence placed in him as
doctor in physical disorders could cas-
lily be brought To bear also on moral