ADDRESS. 
11 
at all, is the one lie set out for. When you are called to see a 
patient, there are always a variety of things that may he the 
source of his malady, and you want to know, as certainly as possi¬ 
ble, which is the one at the bottom of it. During the course of 
the disease, it is often of great consequence to know whether a 
new symptom be really a dangerous one, or only due to some 
temporary irritation. If you can decide this correctly, of course 
it will make a great deal of difference in your treatment and in 
the result. This quality depends in some measure on natural 
capacity; but it also depends on the habit of taking everything 
as it comes without examination, or of looking to see what is the 
cause of it, and what it means. The man who exercises his 
judgment in this respect gives the patient the benefit both of his 
knowledge and his skill. The man who does not, is what they 
call a “routine practitioner.” He goes by rote; and he is like 
the books that some people keep in their houses, such as Gunn's 
Domestic Medicine ; or, Every man his own Cattle Doctor , where 
all you have to do is to look out the title of the disease, page 
104, and then give the physic put down as good for it. The 
healing art cannot be practised in that way, either on animals or 
man. 
Hot long ago I heard a story of this sort. There were two 
friends, Dr. A. and Dr. B. Dr. A. lived in the town and drove 
his buggy. Dr. B. lived in the country and generally went on 
horseback. Dr. A. was well read and tolerably popular, but he 
had great confidence in his friend’s practical skill and discretion. 
So once, having a patient very ill with dysentery, he sought the 
advice of Dr. B., who happened to be in town ; saying that he had 
given the patient several doses of cathartic medicine, but without 
good effect. Dr. B. said he thought opium would be a good tiling 
to administer, and so it proved, for the patient got well under that 
treatment. A year afterward Dr. A. had another bad case of 
dysentery, and again called Dr. B in consultation. He said the 
patient had been taking opiates for some days, but was still 
growing worse. Dr. B. advised castor oil. “Well,” said A., 
“ I’ll give it, if you say so. But last year, when I had a case of 
dysentery, you told me to stop the cathartics and give opium. 
