222 president's address — section i. 



decoction ill a bottle, to be taken three times a day after meals, 

 is one of the commonest of the vestigial remains of the period 

 of snper&tition. 



How commonly one hears of a confirmed alcoholic doctor that 

 "he is so clever when he is sober. ' ' It is an- interesting psycho- 

 logical phenomenon that a vice, which in any other profession 

 or trade would inevitably bring disgrace and shame, is glorified 

 in the medical profession, where the risks at stake are e-xpressible 

 in terms of human life. 



This almost universal ignorance amongst his patients is to the 

 doctor both an obstacle and a temptation. It is an obtacle in 

 that the patient becomes impatient when he is required to suffer 

 the details of a tedious investigation by accurate methods. It is 

 a temptation in that the doctor realizes that his patient will go 

 to one of his rivals who- follows the easy way, and that, in any 

 event, as the patient desires to be " overlooked " in the ancient 

 sense, rather than toi be accurately investigated, he might as well 

 give the patient what he wants and collect the fee. 



If this be not a generous representation of the average of the 

 medical practice, it i^, on the other hand, necessary tO' state that" 

 almost without exception the doctor reaches this attitude through 

 despair and not. through design. 



The medical man, normally, commences his active professional 

 career with a high level of idealism. He determines that, how- 

 ever mechanical in their practice the older men have become, he, 

 at least, will not permit himself to degenerate, but will keep 

 himself closely informed of all new developments in medical 

 science, and his patients will have the benefit of his energy and 

 enterprise. There are many reasons why it is, under present con- 

 ditions, inevitable that he should insensibly fall away from that 

 exalted an,d altogether desirable attitude; but the twO' main 

 reasons are that ignorance of the general public indicated above, 

 and the impossibility of obtaining the necessary equipment. 



Before the yoi:ng doctor has been naore than a few months in 

 practice, he will meet many difficulties arising from the absence 

 of this equipment. A few illustrations will be sufficient. An 

 accident will render an X-ray examination essential ; it will be 

 necessary to givei anxious parents a definite statement whether or 

 not their daughter has consumption ; it will become necessary to 

 give a firm opinion as toi the preisenoe or otherwise of syphilis (this 

 is not only necessary in the interests of the unborn generation, 

 but the State demands it by law) ; an obstinate case of nasal 

 trouble cannot be properly treated without the use of special in- 

 struments for both diagnosis and treatment. Modern diagnosis 

 and treatment of heart disease both require a very delicate, com- 

 plicated, and expensive apparatus. A certain amount of chemical 



