690 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



preferable to call two surgeons, "and if possible, let them be 

 friends, of the same sect, and agreeing in opinion; if two such 

 can not be found, then a third should be taken in, in order solely 

 to make the others agree after they have discussed the matter." 

 Moudeville is not a partisan of a large number of consultants. 

 He found many inconveniences and few advantages for the pa- 

 tient at the numerous meetings which he attended as king's sur- 

 geon. He then makes an irreverent comparison, of the patient 

 to a dog and the surgeons to its hair: "We are," he says, "like 

 the hairs of a dog : the longer and coarser they are, the more 

 they annoy the animal, because they overload him and furnish a 

 harbor for lice, and are of no use in any way, for dogs seldom die 

 of cold. . . . The more numerous we are," he adds, " the less each 

 one of us feels himself responsible. Each says that no larger part 

 of the treatment fell upon him than upon the others. Hence, the 

 more doctors the sick man has the more he finds that he has few 

 or none. If affairs go ill, every doctor excuses himself, and holds 

 that he is absolved. In this way it often happens that wealthy 

 patients are less effectively treated than poor ones, because of the 

 number of doctors they have around them. On the other hand, 

 a large number of consultants embarrasses the attending doctor, 

 and prevents his following his habitual practice ; while, if he does 

 not pay strict attention to the observations of the others, they re- 

 gard him as a disagreeable, proud, self-conceited man." 



The experienced surgeon, when he is alone, uses processes which 

 he is not willing to reveal to the others (every one keeps his secrets, 

 and every one pretended to have them in those days), or he is 

 afraid that they will reject his remedy, as some do, who will nev- 

 ertheless make a note of it to use it on occasion. Or, again, if his 

 remedy is accepted, each of them will want to add something to 

 it one rose, another melilot, a third camomile whereby the medi- 

 cine will lose its virtue and the surgeon will not accomplish his 

 purpose, and will be exposed to reproach from the very persons 

 who have nullified his remedy. And, lastly, when the surgeon 

 reveals to others, who knew nothing about them, the conclusions 

 to which his experience has led him, they will say, " That is what 

 I observed a long time ago," or " That is what I was just going to 

 say." 



Another argument adduced by Mondeville against a large 

 number of doctors is that an experienced doctor is really seldom 

 mistaken, while it is impossible, when several doctors have come 

 together, for them all to be agreed as to the cause of the disease, 

 its nature, symptoms, and treatment, for there will be as many 



fever is prolonged beyond four days." This is why our author makes the limit of four days 

 intervene before deteriniHing it to be necessary to call in another surgeon. 



