The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-06-26
A DOCTORS STORY
The Problem That Grew Out Of
a Queer Night Call.
A STUDY IN MEDICAL ETHICS.

suspicion were MtNcc' ana " AWoRe
the Question of Physicians Right
to Violate Pledge Of Secrecy.
This is a story. told by a well known
physician. of problem that suddenly
confronted him and how he inter
preted the ethics of his profession and
acted on il.
II was reused one night" he said.
"by Il telephone call. An unfamiliar
voice asked me If could attend
man who had been injured. answer
ed that ! could il the case was ur-
gent. but before ! could ask who was
calling the speaker answered.:
"'All right. doctor; I'll call ut your
house i'm ten minutes with Il carriage.
almost before | had time to dress
door. and Il man wearing Il long ulster,
dark hat and a pair of colored glass
es entered.
doctor he said. before we start
] want to make n request. This case.
as / told you. is urgent. But before
we start ! must have your assurance
that you will treat this visit as a
confidential mission. cant 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.
II took my hat. and we started. The
carriage was closed one. We got in;
the man turned on small electric
light and then drew the blinds over
the windows.
"'DOctor.' he said. I'm going to ask
you to take this trip without knowing
where you're going. I'll assure you
its all right. I want you to bindfold
yourself before we leave the carriage
until we get inside the house
"Well, didn't like the look Of this.
tbut l was in and didn't like to back
out. BY the time the carriage stop
ped ] didn't have the least idea What
made so many turns. put on The
sblindfOld, as my visitor requested. and
we went into house.
upstairs found my patient He
dad been shot twice Revolver bullets
they were. The wounds weren't dan
GerOus, but they were painful because
&hey had not been treated earlier.
~ 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 al
Seast two or three times more before
I could answer for his safe recovery.
1.-THE man with the dark glasses
quietly assented to this. but insisted
chat he should bring me at night. as
be had that time. l agreed.
1.-THE next morning the papers told OF
q robbery In which householder had
been wounded after shooting one OF
the burglars. who succeeded I'm escap-
fng. 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
ethics of the medical profession allow
me to go to the police and tell them
what | knew. or did my promise bind
me to secrecy? ! thought it over all
day and finally decided that had no
right TO say anything about the mat
ter. ! made three more trips in the
tI,ta t,.h
ed the papers. but no trace WAS found
OF the burglars. When | made my
last visit told the man who had first !
called me that my fee would he so !
He took from large roll some bills |
and handed them To me without a !
word. He drove me home, and that |
was the last ! ever saw of either OF |
them.
"rbat was good many years ago. |
but I've often wondered whether | did |
right in not violating that mans con
fidence."
II don't think you did" said Il mem
Der Of the group. The medical pro
fession has no right to shield Il Grim
final. Women and children should be
given the greatest protection we can
give them, but no word given Grim
final is binding"
But suppose 1t had turned out that
the man was not the burglar in ques-
ton? believe he was. but 1t might
have been otherwise
'That's true" said a third. 1T was
all right to keep your promise 80 long
o. you bad no actual knowledge that
the man was a criminal. Where you
made your mistake was In making
such ridiculous agreement In the first
place"
"And let a man. dangerously inJur-
ID, suffer-" asked the first speaker.
"Remember. when first agreed to Sc
crecy the case had no particularly sus-
pici0us appearance. ] could cite a
dozen different circumstances In which
. serious accident might happen and
which the persons connected with
would. with perfect right go to
great lengths To keep secret. So could