The profession of medicine : its study, and practice ; its duties, and rewards / by Charles West.

  • West, Charles, 1816-1898.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The profession of medicine : its study, and practice ; its duties, and rewards / by Charles West. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    Manners to hospital patients, especially to women. hurry ; while a fourth annoys by his self-conceit, his intolerance of questions, to which, when he replies, it is by some curt answer, or by some technical phrase, which conveys no meaning to the patient or the patient's friends. I am Sir Oracle, and when I speak Let no dog bark. Manners makyth man, says an old English proverb, and of no man is this truer than of the doctor. The essentials of a doctor's manners with his patient are that they be natural, cheerful, gentle, and sympathizing; and all these can be practised by the clinical clerk and the dresser. Treat the hospital patient as a friend—a sick friend. That can be done without putting oneself on his level. Show interest, not only in his case, but in himself as a sufferer; in any examination observe the consideration you would expect for yourself—be cheerful, hopeful, sympathizing, and let no word about his illness, calculated to depress him, pass in his presence. If the patient is a woman, especially a young woman, and still more a pretty one, all these points should be observed still more carefully, and be especially particular not needlessly to disarrange her dress. Attention to these points will be appreciated by all, even by those poor creatures whom, a few weeks before, no act, however gross, would have surprised or offended.