The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1914-01-23
A DOCTORS STORY
The Problem That Grew Out of
a Queer Night Call.
A STUDY IN MEDICAL ETHICS.

a.. Question Of a Physieian's Rights /
to Violate a Pledge Of Secrecy.
This is a story. told by a well known
physician. Of a problem that suddenly
confronted him and how he inter
preted the ethics OF his profession and
acted on it,
Il was reused one night" he said.
"by a telephone call. An unfamiliar
voice asked me If I could attend a
man who had been injured. 1 answer
ed that l could If the case was ur-
gent, but before could ask who was
calling the speaker answered.
"'All right, 6octor; I'll call at your
house in ten minutes with Il carriage.
almost before l had time to dress
the doorbell rang l unlocked the
door, and a man wearing a long ulster.
dark hat and a pair of colored glass
es entered.
doctor he said, before we start
want to make request This case.
as I told you, is urgent. But before
we start ! must have your assurance
that you will treat this visit as n
confidential mission. / 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 n trace OF nervousness
about him, and he was well dressed.
] thought there was no reason for re-
fusing to make the agreement.
Il 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. I 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 ! was in and didn't like to back
out BY the time the carriage stop
ped I didn't have the least idea what
part Of the town we were in, he had
made so many turns. I put on the
blindfold, as my visitor requested. and
we went into a house.
Upstairs l found my patient He
had been shot twice. Revolver bullets
they were. The wounds weren't dan
! EtAOunf D0l lAIo M0AN itlAAA RN~ttN-s'~
they had not been treated earlier.
81 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
II, nN MI n q
he had that time. / agreed.
'srhe next morning the papers told OF
a robbery in which a 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
fore was the burglar who had been
shot. The householder recovered
quickly.
"The question stared at me: Did the
3 ethics Of the medical profession allow
me to go to the police and tell then
8 what knew, or did my promise binC
3 me to secrecyf 1 thought It over al
day and finally decided that I had NJ
right to say anything about the mat
ter I made three more trips in tn
same manner. All this time 1 watch
] Gu inc UAUGAHr DhI III NAtANN Ne--
g of the burglars. When I made m.
last visit told the man who had frs
8 called me that my fee would be SOC
; He took from a large roll some bill
and handed them to me without
word. He drove me home, and tina
y was the last ever saw Of either o
them.
'eThat was a good many years age
- H. ,ft,,,, NOM oroH whether iii
right in not violating that mans col
idence."
'e 81 don't think you did" said men
y her Of the group. "The medical pre-
l. fession has no right to shield a erin
v inal. Women and children should 1
10 given the greatest protection we ca
,e give them, but no word given erin
q inal is binding"
= but suppose it had turned out thu
~ the man was not the burglar in que
ton? l believe he was, but it migl
have been otherwise"
"A That's true" said a third. 1t WI
3 all right to keep your promise so loI
Z as you had no actual knowledge tn
the man was n criminal. Where W
made your mistake was in makiI
; such a ridiculous agreement in the fir
y place"
"And let a man, dangerously injr
ed. suffer?" asked the first speak'
az Remember when ! first agreed to E
"a crecy the case had no particularly 81
IN picious appearance. could cite
dozen different circumstances I'm Will
's a serious accident might happen a
which the persons connected WI
would, with a perfect right, go
great lengths to keep secret SO col
either OF you"
Which Of the three was right3-N'
York Telegraph.
ne "
UP The Other Side
ny 'sThe early bird catches the worn
.t.-,.-.,1 eT,., coon