An inaugural address delivered before the Medical Society of the State of New York : at the Capitol in the city of Albany, on the 8th day of February, 1826 / by James R. Manley.

  • Manley, James R., 1781-1851.
Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural address delivered before the Medical Society of the State of New York : at the Capitol in the city of Albany, on the 8th day of February, 1826 / by James R. Manley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    character, in so far as they are susceptible of improvement by legal provision. The profession which we have chosen is one of awful re- sponsibility : it puts in requisition, and gives continued em- ployment to all the powers of the understanding, and all the kindly affections of the heart. The physician is not only obliged to be well informed, but his knowledge must at all times, be at command—not only to act with decision, when occasion requires, but to do ungracious acts, and such as will jeopardise his reputation if success should not attend the re- sults ; to be well furnished for his profession is not only his duty, but his deficiency is his sin ; his ignorance is his crime : he is not only obliged to administer relief, but the relief must be extended in the best and speediest manner, and with the least possible suffering ; and if any thing can render the duty still more arduous, it is the conviction, that his feelings must be so disciplined by his judgment as in no case to be permit- ted to control it. It is his exclusive business to shield from the dangers and assuage the pains of disease ; to furnish the means which alone can give to life its enjoyment, or mitigate the sufferings which must inevitably terminate in death ; and to give additional force to all these responsibilities, there are, no human sanctions to enforce the obligations—He who made him, and conscience his only representative, can estimate his deficiencies or rebuke his neglect: how important then,—how vitally interesting to the public, is the subject of medical education! and how essential is it, that its foundation should be laid in a deep and abiding sense of moral obligation! The time was, when a moderate share of intellect, properly directed, was sufficient to insure to the possessor a large measure of reputation; but it must be remembered, that such reputation was but the halo created by the mists of ignorance which its industry was endeavouring to dispel. In the early settlement of a large part of this State, and till within a few years, it was not to be expected that either leisure or opportunity would be afforded to medical men to improve their profession by reading or observation ; the pres-