Transactions of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association Volume 4 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1836 edition. Excerpt: ... improvements, discussions, and exposure, will lead to further improvements, and will probably be accelerated by the hard hand of a new and terrible power, created for managing the children of sin and improvidence, but not for despotically legislating for the medical profession. A few cases well verified, and the consequences exposed in a moderate temper and with a candid spirit, by a large body of medical men, will create an interest in our behalf amongst the well informed, and, unless we arc lamentably deficient in spirit, conduct us to the best constitutional means of escaping from such tyranny. For my own part, I offer to prove, before any competent tribunal, that there is no mode of rescuing us from the mandates of the Poor Law Commissioners, but by the general adoption of Self-supporting Dispensaries; and also to prove, that it is the true interest of the land owner, the community, and the poor, to assist in maintaining them by much more liberal subscriptions than they will be justified in paying the district surgeon of the poor-house. These Dispensaries would establish courtesy, good will, and public spirit amongst medical men, by bringing ihem together, and continually shewing them that they have a common interest in upholding the character of their colleagues. Second only in usefulness to the sacred characters that minister truth to the mind, we may, by order and combination, based on a sense of justice and moderation, towards the working community, become most respectable and influential. High professional profits must always be paid only by the higher orders; it is enough, if the poor can be made by any means able to pay us for skill and labour, and the aggregate of small sums appears their only means of paying at all; when the...