Lectures on topics connected with medical jurisprudence delivered before the medical department of the University of Vermont / by E.J. Phelps, April, 1881 ; reported stenographically by Sumner Gleason and Chas. H. Nichols, and printed for the use of the medical class.

  • Phelps, Edward John, 1822-1900.
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lectures on topics connected with medical jurisprudence delivered before the medical department of the University of Vermont / by E.J. Phelps, April, 1881 ; reported stenographically by Sumner Gleason and Chas. H. Nichols, and printed for the use of the medical class. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    plain at the starting point, to the man and his friends. Let them understand that the result is going, in your estimation, to be doubtful. If they prefer to avail themselves of the skill of some more confident man, let them relieve you; but if not, let your prognosis be distinctly understood in the outset. Do not leave it in then- power to turn about in the end, and to charge you with having promised a cure, or a satisfactory result- Place it the other way, so that you will be able to say, and to prove, if the end is unfortunate, that you never have promised any thing different, and that the result has only veri- fied your expressed fears. Then if you are treating such a case, and dealing with per sons not incapable of prosecuting you afterwards, unjustly, avail yourself, as you go along, of the best medical counsel and assistance. Do not stand alone. So that if you should ever be called upon in such a suit, it will not appear that you have assumed the whole responsibility, but on the other hand, that you have brought to your aid the best assistance that was available. And you have the very important benefit of the evidence of such an associate; not merely the evidence of his subsequent opinion, but of an opinion formed during the pro- gress of the case, and in respect to the treatment that had his sanction, and was conducted under his advice. Yet, if, in spite of all precautions, you still get involved in a controversy of that sort, where you are on the right side of it, and where it becomes your duty to yourself and your profession to vindicate your conduct, I can only advise you in that event, to engage wise and judicious counsel, put him fully in possession of all the facts of the case, follow his in- structions, and above all things hold your tongue. Parties do themselves great injury, sometimes, by talking about their cases; forgetting that what they say is evidence against them, and is very likely to be misrepresented or misunderstood. Litigation is always more or less uncertain, especially when it depends on the verdicts of juries. Physicians have