My doctors / by a patient ; with frontispiece by G. DuMaurier.

Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: My doctors / by a patient ; with frontispiece by G. DuMaurier. 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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    disease. The drawback is that he often makes a sort of fad of it. One man is all for liver, and another for lights. One man says everything is gout, very obvious gout, or suppressed gout—often so very much ‘ sup- pressed ’ that nobody else would have guessed its existence. With one man everything is nerves ; with another man everything is indigestion. The specialist puts himself into a pair of blinkers. Now the all-round Jinan doesn’t wear blinkers. He looks at you generally, and on the whole is likely to give a fairer opinion.” “ An ‘ all-rounder ’ must be the best.” “ I won’t say that,” said Murphy meditatively. “ He knows more of the subject generally, but he may know less of details. The field of medical knowledge is now so great that sub-division is necessary if we are to get on.” So the conversation drifted on until it was time for me to go and see Sir William and to experience his treatment, whether circular or direct. It was, however, by no means so easy to see Sir William. I might almost write a chapter on the Adventures of a Patient in Search of a Doctor. I had come up to town on a Saturday, and I went to call upon him early next day. Invalidism is often a very selfish kind of existence. If I had so little regard for my own Sunday rest I might have respected that of an over-worked medical man. My only excuse is that my Doctors and my symptoms had reduced me to such a state of imbecility, nervousness and depression that I could not rest until I could obtain some authoritative opinion and directions. If I deserved a rebuff I cer- tainly obtained it. The bells were beginning to ring for morning service when I called in Harley Street.