22 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 
ness of his personal character, and realize that his short- 
comings were those of his time, it does seem that the 
modern doctor in his love of truth loses nothing by com- 
parison. The old doctor promised the control of all 
diseases, if not in words, at least by action and refer- 
ence. Yet there must have been times when he doubted; 
if not, his ignorance was his cloak. He never knew the 
soul-searching devotion to truth that does the modern ~ 
scientific medical man, whose standing is largely set 
among his fellows by this asset. He did not spend half 
a life time in preparation for his work, but instead a 
meager two years. The old doctor never admitted his 
wrongs or errors. There was no wholesale devotion to 
large charities at considerable financial loss, no lavish 
giving of valuable time to research and teaching that is — 
taken as a matter of course by the modern doctor. There 
was no preventive medicine. Modern medicine is the 
only profession that ever cheerfully undertook to un- 
dermine itself for the good of humanity. There was 
no group medicine, no willing reference of patients to 
others more capable of caring for them in their par- 
ticular illnesses. The relationship of the old doctor to 
his professional fellows was not particularly pleasant, 
in fact usually unpleasant. They kept it well within 
the family, but the medical feuds of yesteryear are not 
a pleasant contemplation. Fortunately they are no more. 
The modern association of physicians of like fields in 
groups and clubs for the helpful discussion of matters 
pertaining to their subjects, is one of the pleasantest 
features of the present day profession. 
But if the partial dismemberment of the profession 
into numerous specialties has effected a vast good in 
directions suggested, it has led to the same difficulty 
that has been experienced in all other forms of ac 
