Moral Principles and Medical Practice | Page 8

politician is jealously watched by his political
opponents. The public functionary, if he is unjust in his dealings, is
likely sooner or later to be brought to an account. But the physician, on
very many occasions, can be morally sure that his conduct will never be
publicly scrutinized. Such is the nature of his ministrations, and such
too is the confidence habitually reposed in his integrity, that he is and
must be implicitly trusted in matters in which, if he happens to be
unworthy of his vocation, he may be guilty of the most outrageous
wrongs.
The highest interests of earth are in his hands. If he is not conscientious,
or if he lets himself be carried about by every wind of modern
speculations, he can readily persuade himself that a measure is lawful
because it is presently expedient, that acts can justly be performed
because the courts do not punish them; and thus he will often violate
the most sacred rights of his patients or of their relatives. Who has
more frequent opportunities than a licentious Doctor to seduce the
innocent, to pander to the passions of the guilty, to play into the hands
of greedy heirs, who may be most willing to pay him for his services?
No one can do it more safely, as far as human tribunals are concerned.
As a matter of fact, many, all over this land and other lands, are often
guilty of prostituting their noble profession to the vilest uses. The evil
becomes all the more serious when false doctrines are insinuated, or
publicly advocated, which throw doubt upon the most sacred principles
of morality. True, the sounder and by far the larger portion of medical
men protest against these false teachings by their own conduct at least;
but it very frequently happens that the honest man is less zealous in his
advocacy of what is right than is the propagandist of bold speculations
and dangerous new theories in the spreading of what is pernicious.
The effect thus produced upon many minds is to shake their
convictions, to say the least; and I need not tell you, gentlemen, that
weak convictions are not likely to be proof against violent and repeated
temptations. In fact, if a physician, misled by any of those many

theories which are often inculcated or at least insinuated by false
scientists, can ever convince himself, or even can begin to surmise that,
after all, there may be no such thing as a higher law before which he is
responsible for even his secret conduct, then what is to prevent him
from becoming a dangerous person to the community? If he see much
temporal gain on the one hand, and security from legal prosecution on
the other, what would keep him in the path of duty and honesty?
Especially if he can once make himself believe that, for all he knows,
he may be nothing more than a rather curiously developed lump of
matter, which is to lose forever all consciousness in death. Why should
he not get rid of any other evolved lump of matter if it stand in the way
of his present or prospective happiness? Those are dangerous men who
inculcate such theories; it were a sad day for the medical profession and
for the world at large if ever they found much countenance among
physicians. Society cannot do without the higher law; this law is to be
studied in Medical Jurisprudence.
It is my direct object, gentlemen, to explain this law to you in its most
important bearings, and thus to lay before you the chief duties of your
profession. The principal reason why I have undertaken to deliver this
course of lectures--the chief reason, in fact, why the Creighton
University has assumed the management of this Medical College--is
that we wish to provide for the West, as far as we are able, a goodly
supply of conscientious physicians, who shall be as faithful and reliable
as they will be able and well informed; whose solid principles and
sterling integrity shall be guarantees of upright and virtuous conduct.
That this task of mine may be successfully accomplished, I will
endeavor to answer all difficulties and objections that you may propose.
I will never consider it a want of respect to me as your professor if you
will urge your questions till I have answered them to your full
satisfaction. On the contrary, I request you to be very inquisitive; and I
will be best pleased with those who show themselves the most ready to
point out those difficulties, connected with my lectures, which seem to
require further answers and explanations.

LECTURE II.
CRANIOTOMY.
Gentlemen:--In my first lecture I proved to you the existence and the
binding power of a higher law than that of human legislators, namely,