The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-01-29
4 D0l|C u 5 STORY J R. /
The Problem That Grew Out Of
a Queer Night Call.
A STUDY IN MEDICAL ETHICS.

It Was a Case In Which Mystery and
Suspicion Were Mixed, and Il Awoke
the Question of Physicians Right
to Violate a Pledge of Secrecy.
d This is a story, told by we'll known |
physician, Of problem that suddenly |
confronted him and how he inter-
preted the ethics Of his profession and |
acted on it.
II was reused one night" he said |
'by telephone call. An unfamiliar
voice asked ME if could attend
man who had been injured. answer
ed that l could if the case was ur-
gent, but before could ask who was
calling the speaker answered: ~.
"'All right, doctor; I'll call at your
house in ten minutes with carriage
almost before had time to dress
the doorbell rang. unlocked tho
door, and man wearing a long ulster,
q dark hat and pair of colored glass
es entered. .g g..
"'Doctor,' he said, before we start
want to make request, This case,
as l told you, is urgent. But before
! we start I must have your assurance
that you will treat this visit as
confidential mission. l can't say any
more. except to add that you're run
ming no risk of any kind in help
ing me- -
|"There was nothing about the mans
appearance that seemed suspicious
He was quiet and self possessed
! There wasn't a trace Of nervousness
about him, and he was we'll dressed.
| I thought there was no reason for re-
fusing to make the agreement.
II took my hat, and we started. The
carriage was a closed one. We got in;
the man turned on a small electric
light and then drew the blinds over
the windows.
| "'Doctor,' he said, Pm going to ask
| you to take this trip without knowing
where you're going. I'll assure you
it's all right. want you to blindfold
yourself before we leave the carriage
until we get inside the house,
"Well, didn't like the look Of this,
but I was in and didn't like to back
out. BY the time the carriage stop
ped 1 didn't have the least idea what
part Of the town we were in, he had
made so many turns. I put on the
bindfold, as my visitor requested. and
we went into a house. .s.,, ..
upstairs I found my patient he
had been shot twice. Revolver bullets
they were The wounds weren't dan
| inf, so
they had not been treated earlier.
II dressed them. told the woman
who was there what sort of care the
patient ought to have and then told
them that I'd have to see the man at
least two or three times more before
could answer for his safe recovery.
"The man with the dark glasses
quietly assented to this. but insisted
that he should bring me at night, as
/ he had that time. agreed. .
1.-THE next morning the papers told OF
: a robbery in which householder had
been wounded after shooting one OF
the burglars. who succeeded In escap
!. ing. All the facts of the case indi
= Gated that my patient Of the night be
+ !
shot. The householder recovered
! quickly.
. "The question stared at me: Did tn
ethics Of the medical profession allow
a me to go to the police and tell then
= what I knew, or did my promise bin'
n me to secrecy? l thought it over al
y day and finally decided that had n
O right to say anything about the mat
ter. 1 made three more trips in tn
j. same manner. All this time I watch
IS ed the papers. but no trace was foun
70 Of the burglars. When l made m
last visit / told the man who had frs
n called me that my fee would be $5(
o. He took from large roll some bill
and handed them to me without
was the last I ever saw Of either G
4 them.
al '"That was a good many years ag'
IT, but I've often wondered whether Oil
r. right in not violating that mans col
I'd fdence."
in II don't think you did," said men
he Der Of the group. 1.-The medical pr
fession has no right to shield Grin
st inal. Women and children should
n given the greatest protection we ca
be give them, but no word given a crin
N. inal is binding" ... q. ..-.+.s.
te- But suppose it had turned out tn
T. the man was not the burglar. IN que
'ly ton? l believe he was. but 1t. mig
OK have been otherwise"
'That's true" said third. 1T w
Ia all right to keep your promise so lo1
=" as you had no actual knowledge th
E." the man was criminal. Where y.
10 made your mistake was in maki1
Ssh such ridiculous agreement in the FL
re. place" ~. rs
lat 'And let man, dangerously inj,
ice ed, suffer-" asked the first speak,
7ill Remember, when first agreed to .
ap. crecy the case had no particularly $,
pfcious appearance. I could cite
sh. dozen different circumstances in viii
he serious accident might happen a