THE DOCTOR’S MISSION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21148, 4 October 1930, Page 4

THE DOCTOR’S MISSION.

The Doctor's Mission; Baflectlona, 1 Eemln* Licences and Revelations of a Medical Man." Erw ! a Llok - Surgeon of Dantztg. Translated with an Introduction by J. Ellis Barker. London; John Murray. (6s net.)

The Doctor's Mission" is primarily a book for the medical practitioner to read —and a book that he should read. If, the public reads it, as the public in Germany must have done, since it sold 30,000 copies in that unprosperous land, they must do so, as it is said, at their own risk—at the risk of having some of their confidence in the medical profession- shaken and the inability to find a substitute. It is too easy for, cranks.of one persuasion °T- *!??*, t 0 con demn doctors and throw stink-bombs at the imperturbable B.M.A. —this is.not a sport that needs overmuch encouragement Many who will read this •book with full understanding of the difficulties of the G.P. and are able to follow intelligent criticism intelligently, and apr portion the blame where .it is deserved, may be aggravated by the tone of Mr Ellis BarkeT s introduction. Mr Ellis Barker | has attempted to-make of the preamble a case book of his own experiences, and writes vehemently, in an antagonistic spirit, of the medical profession. We must regret that the translation and sponsorsbip of this book were not placed in the hands of a more impartial judge. But Dr ErwinLiek is in a different position. He is, or has been, a successful surgeon, and wrote "The Doctor's Mission without malice or prejudice, and without -dreaming of the sale it would command, with the object of giving a critical survey of medical activities and practices. "The ever ; increasing stress of the struggle for daily bread gives us very little time for thought and self-criticism/' he says. "In the rare moments which we devote to the contemplation of our activities we are only too often horrified and depressed because we notice the abyss which separates the ideals with which we have entered our profession, the high ideals of the doctor's mission, and the sordid realities of our daily task." He emphasises that "the guiding idea expressed in this book is to be found in my laying stress upon the vast difference which exists between the physician properly 80-called a n d the mere medical practitioner." The author comes to the conclusion that many practitioners have been forced for bread; to do nothing while pretending to exercise their functions as healer, and that many surgeons perform unnecessary operations. Doctors, he says, have been overawed by the prestige of dehumanised scientistji to such an. extent that they have lostx faith m their own powers, have allowed their conduct at the bedside to be dictated by the results of laboratory experiments. In the right hands, that is, of earnest medical men and of people who will not draw alarmist conclusions from the facts presented, The Doctor's Mission " should do much good; but it is undesirable that it should stray into the hands of persona who might thereby be robbed of their Jaith in doctors and transfer their allegiance to qaacks v and quackery, . . J. M.