not ere long direct its course to him of its own accord*.

III. We come now to the general duties incumbent on the Physician in actual practice; that is to fay, the conduct to be observed by him towards his patients, their families and friends; towards other Phyficians; and towards perfons who occupy inferior departments in the medical profeffion.

Diligent and early attention, proportioned to the emergency of the cafe, and an honeft

* Of the practices mentioned in the following quotation, I trust there have been but few examples. Yet the high professional authority whence it comes, does not allow us to fuppofe the imputation to be entirely groundlefs. "A very fertile fource of falfe facts has been "opened for fome time paft. This is, in fome young "Physicians, the vanity of being the authors of obferva❝tions, which are often too haftily made, and fometimes "perhaps were entirely dreffed in the clofet. We dare "not at present be particular. But the next age will "difcern many inftances of perhaps the direct falfehoods,

and certainly the many mistakes in fact, produced in "the prefent age, concerning the powers and virtues of medicines." Cullen. Mater. Med. i. 153.

exertion

exertion of his beft abilities, are the primary duties, which the Physician owes to his patient. The performance of them is virtually promised, for he knows that it is univerfally expected, when he undertakes the care of the fick man; and confequently, if he neglects to fulfil them, he is guilty of a direct breach of his engagement. Were any additional confiderations neceffary to be urged, the probable importance of the patient's recovery to his own temporal interefts, and its poffible importance to his eternal welfare, might be fubjoined. On proper occafions fecrecy likewife is incumbent on the Physician. But he ought to promise fecrecy on proper occafions alone; and he

hould not forget to imprefs on his own mind, and on that of the perfon who confults him, that no promise of secrecy can require or justify the telling of a falfehood. When carried from home, whatever be the occafion, he ought not to omit leaving directions, by means of which, if his affiftance fhould be required elsewhere, he may easily be found. Punctuality in attending at appointed times, when practicable, should not be in any degree neglected; left fuspicions should be with justice entertained of

the

the Phyfician's thinking little of the engagements into which he enters; or of the effects produced by fufpenfe and disappointment on the anxious feelings of the fick. Want of punctuality becomes ftill more reprehenfible, if other medical men have been purposely defired to give him the meeting. Towards all patients, and towards female patients in particular, the utmoft delicacy ought ftudiously to be obferved; and every poffible degree of care taken to avoid needlefsly exciting a blush on the cheek of the modeft, or a painful sensation in the breaft of the virtuous.

The general behaviour of the Physician towards his patient is then the most beneficial, as well as the most amiable, when he unites with the fteadiness which is neceffary to fecure a compliance with his injunctions, thofe kind and gentle manners which bespeak his fympathy with the fufferer. A prudent control over the fick perfon and all his attendants muft ever be preserved, This object will be beft attained, not by an overbearing demeanour and intemperate language, but by firmness difplayed uniformly

and

and mildly; not by the mere exercise of authority over the perfons concerned, but by an occafional admixture of well directed appeals to their. reafon; and sometimes perhaps by the mention of appofite inftances, in which the difregard of medical inftructions on points fimilar to those in agitation has been productive of very pernicious confequences. It is frequently of much importance, not to the comfort only, but to the recovery of the pa-tient, that he should be enabled to look on his Phyfician as his friend. And how can the latter be looked upon as a friend, unless his manners are characterised by kindness and compaffion; not the delufive appearance of a concern which he does not feel, affumed as a profeffional garb through decorum, or for the purpose of enfnaring flattery; not that unmanly pity which clouds the judgement, and incapacitates it from forming a prompt, steady, and rational opinion respecting the measures to be pursued; but that genuine and sober tendernefs, fpringing from the cultivation of habitual benevolence, which, while it wins the affection and cheers the fpirits of the patient, ftimulates his adviser to exert every faculty of

the

the mind for his relief? And what but this equable mildness of difpofition will teach the Physician to bear with patience the wayward humours, and to treat with gentleness the groundlefs prejudices, which he must continually encounter in a fick chamber?

Under particular circumftances, or from particular motives of connection and attachment, a Physician may beftow with propriety on one of his patients a greater portion of his time and attention than he gives to others who stand equally in need of his affiftance; provided that he is still fufficiently attentive to the latter, But never let him adopt this plan for the purpofe of paying fervile and hypocritical court to the fick man or to his friends; nor ever let him be feduced to do lefs than his duty to perfons who employ him, because they are of a temper eafy to be fatisfied; because they hap pen to be poor; or because they are of such a defcription, that cuftom or fome other incident renders it improper to receive fees from them.

Though the common ufage of the town or of the country in which the Phyfician resides,