Medical jurisprudence; or a code of ethics and institutes, adapted to the professions of physic and surgery.

Date:
[1794]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical jurisprudence; or a code of ethics and institutes, adapted to the professions of physic and surgery. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    II. The choice of a phyfician or Jurgeon cannot be allowed to hofpital patients, confiftently with the regular and eftablifhed fucceffion of medical attendance. Yet perfonal confidence is not lefs important to the comfort and relief of the fick- poor, than of the rich, under fimilar circum- fiances: And it would be equally juft and hu- mane, to inquire into and to indulge their par- tialities, by occafionally calling into confultation the favourite praftitioner. The reftitude and wifdom of this condufl will be ftill more appa- rent, when it is recollected that patients in hof- pitals not unfrequently requeft their difcharge, on a deceitful plea of having received relief j and afterwards procure another recommendation, that they may be admitted under the phyfician or furgeon of their choice. Such praflices in- volve in them a degree of falfhood 3 produce unneceflary trouble; and may be the occafion of irreparable lofs of time in the treatment of difeafes. III. The feelings and emotions of the patients, under critical circumftances, require to be known and to be attended to, no lefs than the fymptoms of their difeafes. Thus, extreme timidityy with refpe<5l to vensefedlion, contraindicates its ufe, in certain cafes and conftitutions. Even the ■prejudices of the fick are not to be contemned, or oppofed