The Duties
of a Physician
Samuel Bard, 1769
In August in 1767, Samuel Bard (he had returned to New Yark the year befare from medical studies in Edinburgh to set up practice of medicine with his father) and five other physicians, all products of medical schools abroad, in Dublin , St. Andrews, Rheims, Leyden,
and Edinburgh, proposed that the governors of King's College "institute a Medical School
within this College far instructing Pupils in the most useful and necessary Branches of
Medicine ." The school opened the following November and two years later the first degrees
were awarded. On the occasion, Samuel Bard---he was then twenty seven-delivered a
"Discourse Upon the Duties of a Physician."
The "Discourse" is in effect the first tract on medical ethics in what was to become the
United States. Its charge to the graduates was in the spirit of the times when the independence minded Colonies were already in a liberal ferment-to fight ignorance and to establish
an honest and humane relation with clients and fellow practitioners , to keep in mind that
"your Patient is the Object of the tenderest Affection," to "avoid any ridiculous Expressions
of Humour, at the bed-side of a sick Man," to "let those who are at once the unhappy
Victims, both of Poverty and Disease, claim your particular Attention."
The audience in Trinity Church included New York's prominent citizens, and the
. "Discourse" was also to appeal in the spirit of enlightened humanitarianism far the establishment of a public hospital in New Yark "far the Poar who are the greatest sufferers ." H e
appealed to their charity , and to the idea of a teaching hospital that would extend its benefits
"to every Rank." Sir Henry Moore, the Governor of the Province of New Yark, was the
first to subscribe £200 at the dinner which followed. The "Discourse" was soon printed and
continued to serve to raise funds, so that the cornerstone was laid early in September 1773,
and the hospital itself opened on October 25, 1774.
Samuel Bard was in those days considered "the most accomplished young physician that
New Yark could then boast," and he continued throughout a long life to be extraordinarily
active in the intellectual life of New Yark. Fifty years after delivering the "Discourse"
reprinted here, as President of what had become the College of Physician and Surgeons, he
again addressed the graduating class . That address, too , is in the spirit of its times . It will be
reprinted in the '7lext issue of fNRR.
-W.W.
The Duties of a Physician
49
Samuel Bard as a young man (Courtesy of Bard College Archives).
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The Hudson Valley RegioJUl/ Review
A
DISCOURSE
UPON
THE
DUTIES OF A PflYS·ICIAN..
WIT. Ii S'Q ],', E, SEN T -I MEN T. S,
ON
USEFULNESS
THE
AND
OF
PUBLIC
NECESSITr
A
HOSPITAL:
:D ELI V t RED B E FOR E THE
PRESIDENT
AND
o
GOVERN .OR-9
F
KIN G's COL LEG £,
A 1. THE
COM Nt E N C E MEN T,
As Advice to thofe
G It NT i. EM
received the Fitft M ~
EN
who then
D ( CAL DEC R E E S
confer:red by due U N I V E R S I l' Y.
By SAM U E IJ
BAR D, M. D.
profefi'Jr of lh~ Practice 'of Med.i¢;tfeo in KIN ·cs'·~ COL t.
N E w-Y 0
Prjlll'~(l by A. &
J.
B " A Y f.
Duties of a Physic ian
R K
J: 'G
r:.
j
ROB. E R. l' SO .N, :U .the ~OI1ler ~f
S T R I . £ t, M;DCC, LXIX. .
K•
5I
To His Ex c '£ I. I.
SIR
ENe T
HEN R Y M , 00 R E, Bart.
Captain Gener aI, wd Governor in (:hief, .i n and over
the Provine( of N E w-Y 0 R K, and the Territories dependill~
thereon, in A MER leA,
ChlQlce~()r,
and
Vice-Admiral of the fame.
S ~~)
H E favourable 'Sentiments YOtl
were pleafed tq,expre[s of the fol-
T
lowing Difcourfe, when it was delivered, and the very generous' Warmth
with which your Exeellency ~ntered
,into the Propo[al it contains, of f,,"lIid:..
ing a Public Infirmary ill this City,
have 'emboldened th~ Au't hor to fubmit
it' to the Confideratidn of the Public ~
'and to infure it 'a faVOllyable Recep- .
tion, he ha.s ventured to 'prefix to it
your E:Xcellen~y'
not doubt ...
.iog but that the fame Benevolence
which prompted·. you fo gener9\l.fly to
undettak(; t~ Caufe of the Poor ,ana
,Name;
uri--
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ii
DE DIe A T 10 N.
Unhappy, will ·now plead his Exc\:lf~,
for the Liberty he has taken of pro-poling your E¥ceUency's humane and
benevolent Exalnple, to the ImitatibR
of his Fellow Citizens and Country
Men,
M4r your
E~cellepcy,
and every
generous ContriblJtor to ~his lnfiitution, enjby the Happinefs of feeing
'
the ,good EffeCts of your charitable
Endeavours; ~nd~s the jlJft Rewarti
of your HUlnanity, may "tb, BlejJing
pfhim, tbat is ready . to perifh come 1tP~
{11t you. "
ID wlli<;h HOP~l
f hav~ the Hopor to be,
With the gteateft RefpeCt.
Your Excellency's
Moil opediel1t
aUllilbl~ Servant,
SAM U E L BAR D.
Duties of a Physician
53
THE
PRE F A C ·E.
H ·E St.- heme of a Public Hofpital for
the Rcc~ption of the poor Sick of this
Gov.ernment and City, is a Subje4;,
which for a long Time. paft, hal employed the
Attention of .m ay charit~ble and benevolent
Iflhabitant~ ; particularly of thQfe GentLemeu
eogag~d in the pr~aice of Phyfic, and Offices
of R~ligion; whofe Profeffions afford th~m the
moil frequent .Opportu?i~e~ of knowing tfut
great N(;ceffily there is for [u~h ~1l Inititution.
T
In part~cuJar,a Ph.nbas often been
propofed~
and the mod proper Method- for putting it in.
Exetutioncon(id~r.td, qy
a Set of Medical
Gentlemen, who have formed themfdves into
a SoCiety for pro~oting the Knowledge, apd
e~tending the Ufefulne(s of their Profeffien :
al)d it hal been a RefalutioD entered upon the
Minutes 6£ that Society, from its. firft Inftitut{1:H1, ·that. th.ey {bould Adclrefs the Le~1lature
upon that Subject, on the firft ·favourable Op...
portulliry~
It
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The Hudson Valley Regional Review
a P R E F ACE.
It Iikewife.· h:lS repeatedly been mentioned ·by
the different ProfeRors of Med~dne, (particular1y DoCtors Middleton, and Jones,) in their
pubJic LeCtures, and earnefily tecommended
to the Confidenttion of the Inhabitants; the
unhappy Difputes however, in which we have
lately been engaged with our Mother Country, have hitherto rendered their Endeavours
fruitlru; but, they neverthelefs· (convinced of
the great Neceffity there was for fueh
an Io-
ftitution, and the very great-Advantages which
all Orders of People muil: derive fr.om it) re""
Colved to perfift in their Endeavour" until fome
happy Oecafion fhould offer of pllfhing it with
Come Probability of Succefs. Such an Occa.
lion now prefents itfdf, and the'Varmth and
~al, which his ExcelJency the Governor, and
moil: of his honorable Council, have expreJred
for it, and the Liberality, with ..vhich they
have fubiCribed towards it, induce them to
think the prefent, the fittdl: Time, for recom ..
mending it, to the ferious Confideration of tho
Public.
~nd
Duties of a Physic ian
55
PRE F ACE.
...
11l
And as an Inll:itution of this Nltture, muil
necelfarily be calculated for the' Benefit of the
diftreifed of
all Seth
and Perfuafions whatfo-
.:vec, it is hoped, that the generous and public fpirited of every Denomination, will ente~
warmly into the Ddign, and promote it with
that Zeal, which fhuuld actuate the Breaff of
every Man, who thillks it his Duty to relieve
dre Neceffities of his Fellow Creatures, or promote the Happinefi of Society
A DI .S".
56
T he Hudson Valley Regional Review
•
A
DISCOURSE
uPON THE
DUTIES OFA PHYSICIAN
-
Hqmines ad DeoJ, nulla re prDpnus accedunl, qtla18
Sa/litem HoiiJinibus dand'o.
C 1 C Ii R O.
Tht-rl is . "(Jt!Jill~ IJ 'Which
It
ftfl!n Itpprollc~er 111ar" to the
Per.
thll'l by r~J; "iHg th, Sid, to tlJt Eu.
filliolls
of the Deil],
jOytiltll!
ofthl B/e(fiJ/gJ
of H,a/th.
---------------------------------~
H AT this Coun~ry has, evtrunceits
T
Difcovery and Settlement, laboured
unaer.· the greatdl: Difadvantagc~, from the
imperfea Manner, in which :5tudl:nn. have
been ioftruCl:ed in the Principles of Medidn.e j
'lad fr.om the Con.fequent prevailing Ig.poranc~
of but too many .of its Protd1orS; ls' a Trutll
which cannot be cuntefied; and of whkh many
unh'appy' Families have feverely felt the fatal
Ji'.If,.fl: •.
Th'Cl
Duties of a Phys ic ian
57
( 2 )
The prefefiit Occation therefore mull: give
the mpft real Pleafure to every contiderate Man,
or Lover of his Country; and' furdy there is no
Friend of Learning; but lUuft rejoice to fee thefe
Gentlemen, w110 have given the mon. pUblic
aDd ample Tellimony of their Abilities, now
wliciting the Honors of this Univerfity, in a
Profeffion hitherto (at leaft in a regular Manner) uncultivated amongll: us.
I . am therefore particularly happy in having
this Opportunity of congratulating every public
{pirited Friend and Patron of this College, and
cfpeciaHy thofe of the medical Inftitution, upon the prefent Inll:ance of its Succefs, wh'i ch
affords fo pleating a ProfpeCt of jts riting -Reputation and future Utili.ty.
But it is to you, Gentlemen, who are Candidates for medical Degrees, that I mean in
a more particular Manner to addrefs my prelent Difcourfe; receive then my Thank. for the
Honors you have alre'ady refleCted upon us,
and as both for your Sakes and our own, '1
cannot but be anxious for your future It<:pu ..
tation ;
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The Hudson Valley Regional Review
( 3 )
tabon; l,et me once more, before we part, reo:que1l y{)ur Attentiop for a few Moments,
whilfr I endeavour to explain to you the
weiKhty dutIes
01 your
PrQ{effion----A Pro-
feffion, in the PraCtice ofwpi.r:h., Integr~ ty and
Abilities, will 'place you among the moll: u(eful; and Ignorance and Dilhonell:y, among the
moft per nicious Members of Society.
And 'be not alarmed, if I fet out with teU-
ing .you, that your Labpurs muil: have no End.
No lefs than Life, and its greateft Bleffing
Health, are to be the ObjeCts of your Attention; and would you acquit yourfe1vts to
youl1. ()Wn Conftieilces, you muil: fpend Y()flr
Days in a.Quous Enquiries, after ·the Means
of rendering woft; of others long and happy.
Do not therefore ima~ine, that from .this
Time your Studies are to ceafe; fO' far from it.
you ~re to be coniidered as but j ufl: entering
upon them; and unlefs your whole Lives, are
one continued Serieil of ApplicatiQn and Improvement, you will fall iliort of your Duty.
For. if in the- Eye of the La,w, the Man who
da.es not afford, to all immedIately under hii
Care
Duties of a Physic ian
59
Care and Pr;>teCtion, as far as in him I~c!l, the
.,~ce(fary Means of preferving T,ife, is ' confid "f!d as accetfary to Murder, how
that
Phyfio..:ian e~(;uf\! himfdf to hIs own Con(d·
ence, or what Palliation of his Guilt. will 'ho·
ptl!ad a~ the awful Bar of eternal Juftice.t wh.
infic:ad of embracing and induftrioully cuJ,iva ...
t\'ng every Opportunity of Improvement. fuall
(con(ciolls ·of hk own Inability) ralliJy tamper
with tbe Lives of hi!\ FeHow Creatuf('·s; ~nd.
at the .riik. of their Safety, defratRI them. 'of
their Property? Would qot anyone confider
the Lawyer an Impoiler, net to ~[e a har'1bet
Phra[e, whQ, confcious of his own Igpcrance,
1hould give Advice, which might endal1.8er tho
Ellite of another? And is not-the Phyficiail
who imp'1fcs Igrio(ance upon lBe ['Jf Knowledge" and puts my Life to the hazard of an
uncertain die' ; Jomuch the greater Impofiof.
in as much as my Life, is of greater E:fiima ..
tlon than my Elhte. In a Profeffion thetJ~
Jik.e that you have ~tn'braced, where ·the Ohjed is of fo great Importan.ce .as the1.He of .a
Mitn ;. you are accollntilhTe even fur the Errors
of Ignorance, nnleCs' YOll he:ve etnhraced c\'cry
Opport~niry of obtairilng Knowledge.
And
wm
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The Hudson Valley Regional Review
( 5)
..And to a Man, who-has ahy ConCiente at
all, it will be but a flight -AlleviJtion 'If his
Rcmorf~, to fay, af~er forne fatal Blunder, I
Intw no better! Unlds he CaJ;} liJtewi(e add,
it is to be attributed to :tlte Fuilty of hi.
.nat
_N"ture.. and not to the Negligence of -his Die..
potition,- that he Was not better infprmed. Nor
wiil a weeping Paren~ re~eive .much Con{oIa,.
tion frbm this RefleCtion, th;1! by the fatal Ignorance of his PhyGcian, an4 not by the malignancy _o f the Difeafe, he has been robbed
of the St~ff and Support of his Life, the
and·: Comfort of his decliiling Age.
Jor
-P id;I know a Wretch among the phu1itioners of Medicine, w hofe infenfible Soul 'lei.
tht!r feels for ~he Di(h.eiles he ll1ay Occafron,
nor partakes -Ill the Joys he may give rife to;
I fay, did I know a Man (cl void of ~very SenJiment of Tepderne(s, and Humanity; I would
-.dvife him, from Motives of Interefi: and Gain.
to e.ndeavour at the Attainment of Skill 11) his
Pr<>tel1ion. But to you, Ge.qtlem~n, I will
point out the Gratificatiun infeparablefrom the
AcqLiiiitlon Qf Knowkdge, tiut ever to be
wiilicd
Duties of a Physic ian
61
----
( 6 )
wi{b~d for Prai(e, which fa lis from th>
e Lip; of
the "Vife and the Virtuous, the Applaufe of -an.
approving Confcience, and the uQfpeakable
PLsaWr.! of do~g good, as the Reward ()f a.1l
yout Toil, and u the ftrongeft Spur to your
future Induftry.
As to thofe who have neither Emulatiem
ftOr H()nefty; who oeither have Abilities, nor
wm give themfelves the Trouble of acquiring
them ; I would recommend it-to fu<.:h, ferioufly
to. confider the Sixth Commandment,
I
THO U
S HAL
T
DON 0
In the Profecu.tio.o of your
MUR
Stud.i~,
D..£ R.'
let .fuch
Authors as h:we tranfmitted to usOhfervations
fOlllldcd upon.N~turet cJaim your particular At..
tcntion. Of thefe. HIPPOCRATES {hines the
ioJ:emoi\:.; hisuowcariedDiligence in Qbferving
and colleCtio.g the Symptoms of Difeafes, his
Fidelity and Accuracy in relating them, his
happy Facility 'in difcov.ering their Caufes, .his
&1maft
prop~etic Knowledg~
of their Evcntj,·
and his fucc¢fsful Treatment of them .. Can Jl'~­
yef be fufficiently admired, and waf hapd,doW'll
his Name, with Honor
Iate4Poftcrity.
62
~nd Arpl~Qfe. to the
A few
The Hudson Valley Regional Review
A
few others among the Ancient.. who
have followed .the Steps of Hippocrates; arcs
well worth · your Perufal; but whilft you ac.
knowledge their Merit. do not affeCt the Pedantry of defpifing the Moderns; and carefully
av.oid that Rock, upon which molt: of the fond
Admirets of Antiquity have {plit, a blind and
flavilh Att~chment to its Opinions; the Bar
where Truth has been fo often Shipwrecked.
and which more than the want of Ihgenuity
or Capacity; napped the Progrefs of Learning
for above twelve hundred Years.
Why ·fhould we give more to thofe Ti,mes,
than they attributed ·to them(elv.es? Read the
Wri~ings
of the wi(eft among ' the Ancients,
21id they are filled: with Modefty and Difli~·
dence,wliy then {hould we afcribe to them.
Infallibility and {)mnifCience?' They dpubted.
the Affertions, and controverted the Opinions
of the Tim~s which preceded them; why
1houldilQtwedoubt'and'controvert theirs; arid
leave 'toPofi:etity the .L iberty Qf conU'overting
our$? L.e t us then examine their Writings with
CandoiJr, but with Freedom, and embrace or
J;ej~
Duties of a Phys ician
63
( 8}
rejetl meir Opil,1ions; as th{'y {hall be found
confiftent, oar incanfificnt with faterExpcrience.
Without therefore depreciating the Merit
of the AnCIen~ let us do J.uili~ to their, PoCte'(itYf and do D~ from ah d.ver ~eal f.or Anti-
quity, fa~fifice Sydenham and Boerhaave, to
the Manti; of Hipp.ocrafes a'rl'd Galeo.---I fee
n~) ReaCc,)Q why Tlm~ -only {bouM l~(fen our
Ahilitks, and Curdy Experience muO: increafc
our Knowledge:- and although I think 1Pmc
cf the Ancie:n.ts may be read with great Ad-
v:mtage; yet it i~ th~ moO: ce1ebrated ' Modern"
( who with equal Abilities enjoy -the additional
Advantage of near-2000 Years of Experience)
Whom I would -recommend to your moll att~ntive Perufal; particularly thole great Ornaments of their Prufeffiop, SVDENHA14"BoERH""AVE, HUXHAM, PR 'l NGLE, and WHYTT;
and {;Jme otbers of our latetl: En81iili and
Scotch Phyfidans, "lJorum Scrtpta not/urn.
"Verfatt manu, ver.;ate diurna."
In your Inter.courfe with your Fellow Practitioners, let lnt;!grity, Candour-, u.d Delicacy
be
64
The Hudson Valley Regional Review
( 9 )
be yout Guides.
There .is
a particutar
Senfi~
bility of Difpofition, which feems dfential to
deliCate Honot, and which I be~ieve is the
beft Counterpoife to St:lf-Interelt~
Thisf
would by all Means advICe you to cultivate,
as you will m~et with many Occaf1ons where
It only can direCt your Conduct.
Never affeCt to clefpife a Man for the WI.DC
bf a regular Eaucation, and treat even harm~
lefs Ignorance, with Delicacy anrl Compalllon;
but when. you meet with it joined with fooihatdincfs aad Pre1umption, you mull: give It
no quarter .
On no Pretence whatever, praCtice thole
little Arts (.)f Cunning and Diffim ulatio!1.
which to th~ Scandal of the P rofefiion. have
Not. ever.
attenlpt to' raife your Fame on the Ruins {)f
another's Reputation; and remember that you,
ought not only to be cautious of your Words,
a Shrug or a Whifper, th€ i1:are. df SurpriCe, or
a piteous Exclamation of Sorrow, more eff~c.
been. but too frequent amorygll: us.
tual1y wound another!s Reputation, and more
clearly betray the Bafenefs of a Man's oWri
Heart, than the; louddl: 'Expreffions.
C
Duties o f a PhYSician
Do
65
( to )
Do not pretend to Secrets, Panacea's, and
Nofirums, they are i1IibC'ral, difhonefi, and in ..
confi!l:ent with your Charatler~, as Gentlemen
and Phyficians, and with your Duty as Men-For if you are poffeffed of any valuable Re-
medy, it is undouhtedly your Duty to -divulge
it, that as many as pollible may reap the Benefit of it; and if not, (which is generally the
Caf=:) you are proP'igating a Falfehood, and
impofing upon Mankind.
In your Behaviour to the Sick, remember
always that your Patient is the Objetl of the
tenderefi Affection. to (orne onc, or perhaps
to many about him; it is therefore your Duty,
not only to endeavour to preferve his Life, but
to avoid wounding the Sefol£bility of a tender
Parent,. a difireifed \Vife, or an alfetlionate
Child .
Let your Carriage be humane and at-
tentive-, be interefied in his W dfare, and {hew
your Appreheniiofol of his Danger, rather by
your AflIduity to relieve,. than by any harlh
brutal Expreffiom of it.
Of
Oil the other hand,
never buoy up a dying Man with group,-dlefs
Expetlations of Recovery, this is at heft a good
natured and humane De-ception, but too often
it
66
The H"dson Valley Regional Review
(
it
II ,
.arifes from the bafer Motiycs of Lucre and
Avarite: befidcs, it is really cruGl, as the
ftr:Qke pf Death is always moll: fc:verely fdr,
when unexpetled; and the ~rim Tyrant may
in general be difarmed of his Terrors, and rendered familia, .t o the moil: timid, and appre-.
hen five ; either by frequent Me.dit~tion. by
the Arguments ofPhilofophy,.or by the Hopes
and Promi~s of Religion. But even onrlook...
ing the important Concerns of Futurity j the
Bufine(a of ~his Life may render (uch a Con,..
dpCt highly dangerous and criminal; as thofe
to whom the thoughts of Death are painful.
are too apt when flattered with the Profpect
pf Recovery,
to n~glea the neceffary ProviEon againft a Difappointment, and by that
Means involve their Families in Confufion and
Diil:refs.
Above <ill 'rhings, avoid any ridi'culous Ex-
premoDs of Humour, at the bed-fide of a fick
Man; you cannot <:: h ufe a more unfeafonable
Opportunily for your l\fi rth; nor will you find
lII.
Perfon of a generom and benevolent Difpofi-
tion, who f;an (mile even at the Repetition of a
, \r it ti ci!in,
Duties of a Phys ician
67
( 12 )
Wittidfn, which carries witb it the Appear"1
ance of [0 much Inhumanity.
Let your Prefcdptions be fimple, and as n'eat
and agreeabJe as the N ature ,o f the Remedv wi!7
permit---Nothing canlbe more abfurd than the
Farrago of [orne, nothing more di[guftful than
'the Slovenli.nefs of others; for it is impoffibJe
to.learn the true Virtues of Medicines ,from compound, Prefcriptions; and Inelegance frequentIy' difappoints us of their EffeCls.--- And as it
is probable, from the Mode of Priltlice in thii
Country, that you wi11 not only be the Preferi..;
bets, but likewife the Difpenfers of your Medicines, let your Integrity be proof againft the
Temptation of unneceffarily multiplying Ptefcriptions, and tru{l: rather ~o the Liberality of
your Patient, than to the ~antity of your
Phyfic, for your Reward. For altho' perhaps
by this Me'thod y.ou may fometimes think your
Service,s undervalued, yet you will always enjoy the fupefior SatisfaCtion of confdous Rectitude, which, by an honeft M;l;;, will ever be
preferred to a trifling Emolumtnt.--.
In
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The Hudson Valley Regional Review
( ·3 )
In the Infancy of this Country, the pretent
Mod'e of praCtifing Medicine w as ne~etrariJy
introduced? from 'the Scarcity, both of lnha,bita'nts ' and Phyficians.
Eut in fo populous a
City as thi~, it is beyond a Doubt, t~at the
,Regubtiom it is now under, are both injurious
to the Inhabitants, and diLhonorable to the
,PeofeffioD: yet I confefs it is not very eary to
point out a Remedy ro the Inceriveriiences at~ndant on it. There is but one, and that per...
haps at prefent would not be thought expedlent; but until it is, thofe who are in good
C~rcumltal)ces moil: rely wholly upon the Ih~
tegrjty of their Phyficians; and for the Poor
who are the greateft futferers. we muft en-
deav,o ur ~o find out (orne other So~r.ce
Qf
ae1jef.
t
Whenever you £han be fo unhappy as to
fuil, in your Endeavours to relieve; let it be
your conftarit Aim to convert, particular Mif..
fortunes into general BJeffings, ;by carefully
infpeCting the Bodies of the Dead, inquiring
into the Cauies of their Difea[cs, and ~hence
im..
Duties of a Phy ician
69
( If )
im.proving Vour own Knowledge, and making
further and ufeful Difcoveries in the hl!aling
Art.
Nor ~an I heIp regretting the manv Ob ..
ftadef: you will meet with in pro[ecuting this
(0 neceffary an Enquiry.; from the Prejudices
of the People in general, and afalfe Tender..
fiefs and mifraken Delicacy in Relations. Time
~md Perfevcrance however muil: overcome po'p ular Prejudices, and will I hope before long,
remowc thefe Difficulties, and open thi~ Door
to Medical Improvement.
Let thofe who are at once the unhappy Victims, b0th of Poverty and Difeafe, claim your
particalar Attention; I cannot repr,(ent to myftlf a more real Object of Charity" than a
poor Man with perhaps a heIplefs Family,
labouring under the com plicated Mi[~ries of
Sicknefs and Penury. Pamt to yourfe1vesthc
agonizing feelings of a Parent, whiHl: labouring under Come painful Di[eaf~, he, beholds a
helplefs Offsp.ring around his Bed, in want of
the ,neceff'aries of Nature j imagine the ,D e"".air of an afi"eCl:ioaate Wife, and a. tender
Mother.
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Mother, who can neither relieve the Pain and
AnXlef.y of her Hufband, nor fupply the importun ate cravings of her Children, and then
deny them your Affiftance if you can-... -but the
Suppofition is inj urious to Humanity, and you
in particubr, I know want no fuch Incitements to Duty and Benevolence,
I ccinno.f
however help regretting, the very frequent
Opportunities you will meet with, particularly
in this Place, of exercifint; your Humanity
upon fuch Occaiions; owing to the want of
a proper Afylum, for fuch unhappy · and real
Objects of Charity, .it is truly a reproach, that
a Ci ty like this , {hould want a publ ic HO!;'1 i-
tal. one of the moJt u {(~fui and lltcei1;u>' chantable Inftitll tioo s that can poffibl l1 be: IInaivmed.
!o.
n'
'. '
The labouring Poor are allowed to be the
fupport of the Community; their Indufhy
enables the Rich to live in Eafe and Affluence,.
and it is; from the Hands of the lVlanufacturer
we de rive, not only the Neceff'aries, hut the
Superfluities of Life; whilft the poor Pittance
he earns will barely (upply the Neceffities of
Nature, and it is literally by the fweat of hii
Jrow, that he gains h is daily Subfif1:ance; how
hea.vy
Dutie of a Physician
7l
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heavy a Ca1amity muil: SickneCs
be teL fuch
,
Man, which putting it out of his Powet to
work, immediately deprives him and perHaps
a helplefs Family of Bread!
Nor would the good Effects of an Hofpital
be whol1y confined to the Poor, they would
extend to every Rank; and greatly contribute
to the Safety and We1fare of the whole Community. Every Country has its particular
Difeafes; the Varieties of Climate, Expofure!
Soil, Situation, Trades, Arts, Manufatl:ures,
and .even the Charatl:er of a People, all pave
the Way to new Complaints, arid ,vary ,the Appearance of thofe, with which we are already
acquainted; Henc'e lEgypt is (ubjeCt: to the
Plague; Holland to Intermittents l the Wefl:Indies to Putrid; and the Northern CountrieS'
to inflammatory Diteafes; and
Englan d
to Hypochondriocal
Spain and
Complaints;
which reigniQg DifeaJes of -a Country, not
only h :we Peculiarfties of their own, but
often vary the Chara¢lers of fucb as are common- to that Country with others, and thefe
Pe~u1jarjtjes
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be iearned only in public Hofpitals, whet-e: having' a number of Sick at ooe Time; not only
affords an·Opponuhity of the better comparing
and remarking their Symp.toms, hut they be...
iiig ·under a certain Diiciplirte -and Regulation;
the Faces of their difeafts are not changed,.
either by the inddlgence of friends or the oill:..
cioufne.a of Nurfes; which is too often the·
cafe in private pra6l:ice. Another argl1meIItI
(and .t hat by no means the leail:,) for an .Inft~
tution of this Nature, is, that it affords the heft:
and "nly means of properly innructing P4p,iJa
In tbe Practice of Medicine; as far th erefore,
'~5 the breeding good and able Phyficians,
which in all Countries and ~t all Times has
been thought an obJeCt of the higheft Impottance; deferves the Confideration of the Public, this Inftitution muft likewifc claitn its Protection and Encouragement.
N or is the Scheme of a PLtblic Holpital t believe fo impraCl:itable; nor the Execution of it, I
hopeatfogreat adiftance,as at firfffight it may
'ppear to be. There are N umbtn in this Place
I am fure (wai It Subfcription once let OA. foot,
upon
Duties of a Physician
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upon Rn €xtenfive and generous Plan) whefe
Fortunes enable them~ and whofe Benevolence
would prompt them~ liberally to contribute to
fo ufeful .an Inftitution; it want's bu~ a Prime
MCilVer, whole Authority would give Weight
to the Umkrtaking, and whofe Zeal and Ill.
duftry, would promote it. Such a on~ I hopo
c!Qllong: w .k e rife up amongft us, and lnay
the Bleiin,:g af,be Poor, and the, Applaufe of
tRe abod atta Uumanc, be the Reward of his
Aflidui-t? and Labour.
F I N I S.
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Engraving of Alexander Coven try
Source: Samuel W. Durant , History of Oneida County, New York
(Philadelphia: Everts and Fariss, 1878)
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