The Doctors' Parliament

NZ Truth, Issue 850, 4 March 1922, Page 1

The Doctors' Parliament

■That closest of close corporations, |c British Medical Association, has ■en holding its annual conference m I'elUngton this week. To the .aay Bind it may appear a mystery why ■ many busy doctors can leave their Itients and their practices for a Role week, but rumor has it that the ■edicos considerately, fix the date of ■ c conference at the healthiest time B the year, when the Ills that flesh B heir to aro comparatively absent. Mien the doctors meet m parliament ftpmbled, there 1 is no. "Hansard" pubHfe'ri of their deliberations. The IScrislon meets behind closed doors, H perhaps this is just as well for ■ laity that pays the bills. The ■btice of medicine is, -even m these ■to- date Georgian days, a very m Hict science, and the same applies W surgery. The success of the pro■ssion depends on the good faith and fust of the public. When sickness sits a home and a loved one is laid iw, a medical man is called m and he household and the patient look to dm to perform what is often m the !ature ' of a miracle. Although the ige of miracles is popularly supposed o be past, it is m the sick rooms and lospitals that 'the modern miracles ,re worked. They aro performed by he faith and itrust and blind belief i the omnipotence of the doctor, and r^^ctors are wise to keep up the fluswrn.' The family do 'not know that a t least 90 per cent- of diagnoses are w ronj? ,m the first' instance and that only after close observation and change? of treatment is the average doctor ILr/e to get on to the. right complaint, rrhe doctor, however, knows it only too well, the while he looks important und puts on his best bedside manner. A good bedside manner is the doctor's iiest asset.' The medico who can breeze into a home, where the fear >f death is clutching all hearts, and jy his confidence and manner and air )f cheery optimism, can banish, the Iread and inspire feelings of hopefulness, has gone a long way towards winning the battle. The doctors do fot tell us. neither do the chemists, or it would be bad for 'business, buj. pres depend largely on faith. : All th,6 rugs and nostrums m the world wont fork a cure unless the patient has the Mil to get well. It is tho doctor's

principal job to get that spirit -jigging m" the jaded soulcase of the sick one. We trust the British Medical Association, m conference assembled, has taken care to' see that the- classes m "bedside manner" for young doctors are being well attended. The association's views on the vexed question of maternal mortality we would also like to hear. When the scandal of the murdered mothers was exposed this paper did hot hesitate to apportion some of the blame upon certain members of the medical profession. The B.M.A^ set up a committee to report to '' the Health Department , and to make recommendations. J 'Truth hopes the 8.M.A., which ordinarily is very jealous about the niceties of etiquette and ethics m the profession, and does not hesitate to discipline medicos deemed to be recalcitrant, or backsliders m this respect, has seen .to it that the stigma against the profession, is m a fair way to be removedApart 'from this grave subject. "Truth" will be interested to hear : what steps the doctors have decided to take m regard to the matter of their honorary .< services to the hospitals. The public hospitals are the training 'ground where newly-fledged medicos are able to gain' 1 experience before they let .themselves loose on tlie' public. Older, doctors, who are on the "honorary" staff also continue , to gain valuable' experience through their hospital work. Now, the doctors have decided that they cannot afford to oontinue this honorary work. What the conference has decided to do m this matter must be of interest to the public, ft at any rate sounds like a big increase m the cost of running the hospitals, for apparently (gratitude for and acknowledgment of the splendid Honorary services is not thought sufficient by come m the profession.