Evening star., 1937-01-16
General Practitioner
And Family Physician
10 the Editor Of The Star:

~ the kAtSf VI ue 6taF.
Looked upon fer too often Is lust .
doctor" the general practitioner for
years has been the prime guardian OF
individual health. Since the health Of
the individual is the basis Of community
and national health, the Importance of
the role OF the general practitioner i'm
mediaLely makes itself evident. l like
W use The term general practitioner and
family physician INTERCHANGEABLE be-
cause no graduate Of medicine can quail
ity as \ family physician unless he is II
general practitioner. In spite OF the
birth and robust growth OF specialism,
the family physician still remains the
most valuable man Of medicine tO the
individual, the family, the community
and the nation.
II Is most unfortunate that 50 many
physicians Of this group have fallen
below the standards OF family physicians
OF past years Formerly the general
practitioner was the sole counselor OF
the family on all matters OF health, but
today many people are making the grave
mistake OF wandering away from this
practice. II is Sanest. safest and best TO
let the family physician guide and in
struct in everything that pertains 10 the
health Of all Of the members 0f the
family. Particularly, should he deter
mine the need for speciallsm, and in
most instances lie Is best qualified to
select the specialist.
Recent graduates and many older ply
Sicians fail TO give maximum service "
the patient BECAUSE they fail 10 study
the patient as we'll rs the disease. and
to treat the patient first and the dis
ease secondly. Specialists have b dam
serous tendency 10 become lost in the
disease al the expense OF the sufferer.
The identity OF the patient Is lost and
he becomes just another case Of The
disease Of which he is victim, as Ia
public clinics.
The most valuable asset 10 physician
Ii that something which Is not possible
TO teach or acquire. II manifeStS itself
only In those individuals born TO be
physicians and is known as diagnOstic
intuition. This sixth sense is not found
as frequently now as In decades past.
because Instrumental and laboratory aids
OF recent introduction into the science
of medicine have served TOO we'll" The
result has been that too much diagnosis
is made in the laboratories instead OF at
has crept into the profession. Labora.
tories have their proper important place
In the reld of medicine Of course but
should be used aS aids i'll diagnosis.
veriflcation of bedside diagnosis. for di-
rectiOn Uf treatment and as check OH
progress VI disease and efficacy of
therapy.
Through public health agencies, mo
ton pictures. lectures and the like. the
health consciousness Of the American
public has undergone some sort Of rem
aissanee. Manufacturers Uf patent
medicines have taken advantage Of this
situation and are reaping harvest
Out Of this increased interest and lntelll- !
gence in health matters has grown an ap-
preciation and demand for prophYlactic
Or preventive medicine. In this particular
phase OF health education the general
practitioner has failed. with consequent
result. he has lost much Of his standing
with and hold OH his patients. Every
earnest and sincere practitioner OF medi-
cine includes in his work a program Of
education. II he fails TO do this, he in
ficts 4 great injustice upon his patient
and greater injustice upon himself.
The failure Of the public TO grasp and
properly evaluate periodic health exam
nations has in very large measure,
handicapped the general practitioner.
i say this because st the time Of exami-
nation the patient is probably well and
the question Of maintaining that health
and preventing disease would follow rs a
natural sequence
For centuries the general practitioner
has enSlaved himself to the task OF serv-
ing his fellow man. He has given the
best and will continue 10 give the best
that is in him in the years TO come.
c. HERBERT MARSHALL, Jr., NJ d.