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MEDICAL PROFESSION. 



their practice accordingly; but we have not unfre- 

 quently seen a young physician elated with the ex- 

 pectation of accomplishing a cure where older men 

 have failed, because his first prescriptions have pro- 

 duced such an alleviation of the disease. Many of 

 the cures supposed to be effected by newly-discov- 

 ered remedies may be accounted for in this manner. 

 While the application is recent, it is extensively 

 spoken of, and reported as an effectual cure ; at 

 length the system becomes accustomed to the re- 

 medy, and its effects cease. But in the mean 

 time the novelty of the subject has passed away, 

 and the ultimate failure of the remedy is little 

 known. An attentive observer may remark, how- 

 ever, that it is in general the same individuals who 

 are cured, over and over, by the succession of new 

 remedies which are from time to time in vogue. 



These different considerations will sufficiently 

 explain why it is, that physicians are habitually 

 incredulous in regard to the wonderful healing 

 powers, so often ascribed to accidental discoveries 

 in medicine. They have so much occasion to 

 know (and this knowledge is but too often taught 

 them by disappointments in their own practice) 

 the difficulty of applying a remedy suited to the 

 peculiar state of che system in each stage of a pro- 

 tracted and complicated disease, with all the ad- 

 vantages that science and experience can afford, 

 that it cannot be supposed, that they will place 

 much confidence in the chance operations of igno- 

 rant and presumptuous empirics.* It may be, that 

 this iticredulity, and the contempt for quacks and 

 quackery, which it involves, is sometimes carried 

 to an extreme. It is not our purpose to defend or 

 apologize for physicians ; but to trace out the 

 causes of some of the peculiarities of character 

 which the profession exhibits. We may remark, 

 however, that it demands no great stretch of cha- 

 rity to find some better motive for the repugnance 

 of physicians to countenance uneducated practi- 

 tioners, and their remedies, than the illiberal sel- 

 fishness not unfr. quently imputed to them. 



We wish we might hope to come to a result 

 Anally favourable to the character of the Medical 

 Profession, in regard to the other point which we 

 noticed. But it cannot be denied, that physicians 

 exhibit a sensitiveness and jealousy of temper, es- 

 pecially in their intercourse with each other, far 

 greater than is met with among other educated 

 men. However amiable they may be in every 

 other respect, and they have perhaps a full propor- 

 tion of amiable qualities in general, if we touch 

 them on a point of professional etiquette, we find 

 ourselves treading upon corns. In many places, 

 this noli me tanyere sensitiveness embitters the 

 happiness of medical men, and not unfrequently 

 impairs their usefulness. The causes of this pecu- 

 liarity are to be found in the nature of the relation 

 between the physician and his patient. This rela- 

 tion is founded altogether upon the confidence 

 which the patient places in the general character 

 and faithfulness of his physician. The inter- 

 course of the physician with his patient is not a 

 mere cold, business matter, but is connected with 

 some of the strongest and tenderest feelings of the 



* To use fiternal remedies only, the same extent of know- 

 ledge is not requisite as to prescribe internal medicines. It is 

 often as difficult to decide when medicines are necessary, as to 

 determine what thy shall be. It may be here observed, that, 

 in re>fwvt to pecuniary profit, quacks are a po.-itive benefit to 

 regular practitioners; the amount of disease which is removed 

 hv their means beintr much lost than the increase occasioned 

 by their vmMnanaKemont. and by the neglect of proper reme- 

 dif- cnu'-pH ^\ them. 



human heart. And if there be something like 

 affection in the feelings of the sick towards their 

 physicians, there is often, by a natural consequence, 

 not a little proneness to jealousy. The excited 

 state of mind, produced by sickness and suffering, 

 while it increases the susceptibility to the atten- 

 tions and sympathy of the physician, adds also to 

 the sensitiveness of any omission, whether real or 

 apparent, and opens the ear to any unfavourable 

 suggestion, however slight. 



All this takes place in seclusion and privacy. If 

 any coldness or distrust have arisen, it is unknown 

 to the physician, until he finds that another is 

 called in his room. Hence he watches with anx- 

 iety every thing that looks like an indication of it, 

 and becomes apprehensive of every thing that may 

 tend to produce it ; so it is also in the intercourse 

 between physicians themselves. If they were 

 brought into frequent and open contact, whatever 

 jealousies might arise would be exposed and re- 

 moved. If quarrels sometimes grew out of them, 

 they would neither be rancorous nor lasting. But 

 in the secluded manner in which they, in most in- 

 stances, necessarily live in regard to each other, 

 the whisperings of jealousy operate secretly for a 

 time, and then, like the smothered fire, burst forth 

 with greater violence. 



Having said thus much of those traits in the 

 character of medical men, which are not always 

 the most amiable, it is but justice to the profes- 

 sion, that we should notice, although we must do 

 it briefly, one which is in every point of view cre- 

 ditable to them. Whatever faults or follies may 

 be attributed to them, it is, we believe, univer- 

 sally allowed, that they are distinguished for their 

 beneficence to the poor. This is not merely the 

 character of distinguished individuals in the profes- 

 sion, or of a considerable number, or a majority ot 

 individuals ; but of the profession as a body ; inso- 

 much, that any physician, who should not partake 

 of it, or at least assume it, would lose his reputa- 

 tion and standing. The poor man, however desti- 

 tute of the means of making compensation, calls 

 for medical aid, with the same confidence that his 

 rail will be answered, as the richest man among 

 us. He may go hungry, or ragged, or cold, be- 

 cause he has not the means to purchase food, and 

 clothing, and fuel, or is unwilling to beg them ; 

 but if he be sick, he need never lie in want of me- 

 dical advice. Boerhaave is said to have called the 

 poor his " best patients.' Happy the young physi- 

 cian \vho can now so regard them 1 



It may be said, that there is little merit in a bene- 

 volence, which is thus rather forced upon the pro- 

 fession by circumstances, than sought by their own 

 choice. This may be in a degree true in regard to 

 individuals; although the habitual performance of 

 benevolent deeds, from whatever motive they may 

 have originally proceeded, can hardly fail eventu- 

 ally to excite some corresponding affections in the 

 temper and disposition of the mind. But in re- 

 spect to the profession as a whole, no such com- 

 pulsion has ever been, or ever could be exerted 

 upon it, from any circumstances external to it. 

 The custom of attending the poor gratuitously, has 

 now grown, by long usage, into a sort of common 

 law, which the whole profession combined, if ever 

 so much disposed, could hardly abrogate. But it 

 has grown out of the character of the profession 

 itself, and of that of its members. If, therefore, 

 physicians are bound to take shame to themselves 

 for the jealous disposition towards each other, 



