Medical faculty

“ Only men who are, by thorough education and experience, especially fitted to fill their respective positions, have been chosen to serve as physicians and surgeons in this institution. After having spent a very large sum of money in erecting and furnishing this national resort for invalids with every requirement and facility for the successful treatment of all classes of chronic diseases, it is the determination of the Board of Directors that the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons shall be superior in culture, experience and skill. ”

“ Opinion.—Upon the ground of keeping faith with the women who have, in reliance upon the regulations and in compliance with the terms thereby prescribed, qualified themselves for professional examination with a view to graduation, we are of opinion that the Senatus is entitled to direct that they shall be admitted to examination; and we also think that, without any further direction or authority than the regulations necessarily imply, the Medical Faculty is entitled to admit them to examination. ”

“ Any person desiring to commence the practice of medicine or surgery, having a medical diploma issued by any college, university, society, or association in another State or foreign country, shall lay the same before the faculty of one of the medical colleges or universities of this commonwealth for inspection, [199] and the faculty being satisfied as to the qualifications of the applicant and the genuineness of the diploma shall direct the dean of the faculty to indorse the same, after which such person shall be allowed to register as required by sec. ”

“ Resolved, That a Faculty is hereby instituted in connection with the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, to be denominated the Auxiliary Faculty of Medicine, of which the several Professors shall receive a fixed salary, sufficient to serve as an inducement for competent persons to accept the position, yet insufficient to preclude exertion for its increase through the attendance of pupils. ”

“ In 1843 he organized Rush Medical College, Chicago, assuming the duties of professor of anatomy and surgery, and remained professor of surgery up to his death, being always the leading person in the faculty. ”

“ We have not the space to speak, individually, of the eighteen professional gentlemen composing the Faculty, but will say that among them are those whose long connection with the World's Dispensary and Surgical Institute has given them great experience and rendered them experts in their specialties. ”

“ Nearly every ailment known to the medical faculty is in a greater or lessor degree dependent for its appearance and its virulence upon a Disease of the Blood. Ulcers, Tumours, Scrofula Bunches, Fistula, Piles, Painful Eruptions, indeed all afflictions manifested upon the outer surface of the body are the consequences of diseased blood. ”

“ The faculty , recognizing that no institution is complete which does not include a certain amount of personal experience have given clinical teach ing a prominent place in the curriculum . Clinical lec tures will be given at Good Samaritan and St. Vincent's Hospitals twice a week , and four clinical lectures will be given each week at the College . " 47 With regard to dissec tion , the statement is made that the students work under the immediate supervision of a demonstrator of anatomy , and “ are required to dissect all parts of the cadaver at least once ," 48 to be eligible for graduation . ”

“ Let them rig orously and unflinchingly reject a l l who cannot pass a thorough and searching investigation i n all departments o f practical medicine and surgery . We omit details , be lieving the faculty o f every college amply qualified t o adopt rules which shall secure this end . ”

“ Qualification.—Every person practising medicine, surgery, or obstetrics, in any of their departments, if a graduate in medicine, must present his diploma to the State board of examiners for verification as to its genuineness. ”

“ Persons not graduates in medicine who had practised medicine in this State under a certificate issued by the State board of health prior to the passage of the act are authorized to practise medicine in all its departments. ”

“ Qualification.—It is the duty of the board of examiners to examine thoroughly every applicant, upon the production of a medical diploma from a recognized college, upon anatomy, physiology, surgery, gynæcology, therapeutics, obstetrics, and chemistry, but no preference is given to any school of medicine ”

“ It is unlawful for any person to announce himself as a practitioner of medicine, surgery, or obstetrics, or to practise as such, who has not received in a regular manner a diploma from a chartered medical school, duly authorized to confer upon its alumni the degree of doctor of medicine. ”

“ Degree of Care and Skill Used a Question of Fact.—In [32] an action at law, whether brought by a physician to recover for his services, or by a patient to recover for malpractice or neglect, it is always a question of fact, to be determined by the jury under proper instructions as to the measure of care and skill required, whether or not the physician has in a given case used that degree of care and displayed that amount of skill which might reasonably be expected of a man of ordinary ability and professional skill. These same rules apply to the surgeon. ”

“ Definition, Exception.—A person is regarded as practising medicine who professes publicly to be a physician and to prescribe for the sick, or who appends to his name “M.D.,” but students are not prohibited from prescribing under the supervision of a preceptor, and gratuitous services may be rendered in case of emergency, and the act does not apply to commissioned surgeons of the United States army or navy or marine hospital service (ib., s. 6,879) . ”

“ Qualification.—No person is allowed to practise medicine or surgery as a means of livelihood in any of its departments without first making affidavit before a judge, justice of the peace, clerk of district court, or notary public in the parish wherein he resides, of his having received the degree of doctor of medicine from a regularly incorporated medical institution of respectable standing, in America or in Europe, and designating its name and locality, and the date of his diploma ”

“ Average Standard of Skill of any Professed School must be Attained.—It is also a rule that one who professes to adhere to a particular school must come up to its average standard, and must be judged by its tests, and in the light of the present day. Thus a physician who would practise the reckless and indiscriminate bleeding which was in high repute not very many years ago, or should shut up a patient in fever and deny all cooling drinks, would doubtless find the old practice a poor excuse for his imbecility. ”

“ It seems to us that physicians or surgeons practising in small towns, or in poorly or sparsely settled country districts, are bound to possess and exercise at least the average degree of skill possessed and exercised by the profession in such localities generally. ”

“ The term of my apprenticeship being expired, I devoted myself for four years to a military life, principally with a view to become more skilful in my profession, being engaged the whole of that time in a very extensive practice in the army amongst diseases of every kind. The last five years I have spent in Europe, under the most celebrated masters in every branch of medicine, and spared no labor or expense to store my mind with an extensive acquaintance in every science that related in any way to the duty of a physician ”

“ If the board be satisfied by examination that a person is duly qualified to practise either or all of said branches of medicine, as taught and practised by homœopathists, they shall certify the same under the hands and seals of two or all of such board. ”

“ Before the common law every one undertaking to treat the sick professionally, and as the exercise of his vocation, is legally a physician. He has the rights of one, and when he assumes those rights the law lays upon him the heavy burdens and res­pons­i­bil­i­ties of the profession. It is, of course, far otherwise if any statute prescribes particular qualifications for the practice of the profession and one undertakes to discharge its duties without such qualifications. ”

“ Although the Physicians in America commonly Practise Physic, Surgery, and Midwifery; and especially in Country Townships; yet they are considered in Europe, as distinct and separate Arts; and in some Places, he that Practises one of them, is not allowed to officiate in either of the other; and even the female midwives are obliged to live Seven years with some Experienced Practitioner, before they are permitted to Practise themselves. But in the Country, they commonly rush into Practice without the necessary Qualifications. ”

“ In the more dangerous, obscure, or complicated forms of chronic diseases, the correct diagnosis and successful treatment of which tax all the skill possessed by the experienced specialist, the invalid will not be misled into the dangerous policy of relying upon his own judgment and treatment, but will be counseled not to postpone until too late, the employment of a skillful physician. ”

“ It is not merely our object to show that, in common with other gentlemen, medical practitioners should have some general knowledge of the law, without which they cannot in any scene of life discharge properly their duty either to the public or themselves; but to demonstrate, that there are many and intricate branches of law, in which the physician or surgeon, by competent knowledge, may not only materially serve himself in reputation, and his patients by advice, but also render important benefit to the community. ”

“ In short, a physician or surgeon cannot contract with a patient that the patient shall waive any claim for damages growing out of his want of ordinary care and skill. Nevertheless, the physician or surgeon may frankly inform his patient of his want of knowledge and experience as to the particular kind of treatment required by any special and unusual disease or injury. ”