Excerpt from The Physician and the Public From this cursory view of the causes of the infatuation, folly, and erroneous notions of the public, in regard to Health and Disease, Medicine and Physicians, it will be seen, that it de serves less censure than at first sight seemed its due. On a sub jcet, which in the minds of the ablest and most learned is sur rounded with doubt and uncertainty, it is natural that ignorance should beget error, and lead to foolish and not unfrequently mischievous conduct.
In the following pages it is proposed, in as brief, simple, and fair a manner as possible: to show what relations should exist between the Physician and the public; what should be his quali fications to merit confidence; to define his position, and defend his rights and interests; to show also the paramount importance 'and necessity of discriminating between the shallow empiric, and the well-educated and experienced practitioner, between talents, knowledge, and skill, on the one hand, and low cun ning, ignorance, and presumption, on the other; and how this discrimination can be effected; to show wherein the public err in their judgments regarding medical men; and lastly, what the public owe to the conscientious, faithful, and skilful ministrant m the preservation and obtainment of health.
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