South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2274, 1 July 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1880.

It is surely time that something was done by the legislature to protect the medical profession. We do not mean protection in the way of fees, for duly qualified practitioners are generally able to protect themselves in that direction, nor is it necessary to protect them against quacks, but something ought to be done to prevent the good name of an honorable and humane profession from being compromised by the questionable if not indeed criminal proceedings of backsliding members. The protection we allude to is needed, not simply for the sake of the public, whose lives arc at stake in the matter, but chiclly in the interests of the decent members of the profession. We have no hesitation in saying that, both as regards ability in the administration of dangerous drugs, and skill in the treatment of incurable diseases, the medical men of New Zealand rank as highly as those of Great Britain, France, or any other part of this depraved universe, where the pleasure of dying scientifically is preferred to that of succumbing to natural causes. It is in view of the untainted atmosphere of high respectability which surrounds the distribution of life-extinguishing extracts, that we suggest the necessity of Legislative interference. Quite recently several cases have arisen of negligence or maltreatment that arc calculated to create profound uneasiness. In the Southland Gaol a poor old pensioner, who had served his country well, and who, hut for a drunken freak, would probably have preserved his reputation to the end, died a disgraceful death—the dcatli literally of a dog. He had been treated as a malingerer, allowed to pine in bis cell without attention, or take bis place with the bard labor gang, his complaints regarded with levity, till death jrut an end to Iris sufferings. A mock inquest is held, in violation of the law, half of the panel arc prisoners, and the doctor’s explanation that death arose from anyuuo ■pcdorls (a complaint which is difficult to distinguish in life, and leaves no perceptible traces in death) is considered quite satifactory. Since then, —only a few days ago —a case of an equally grave nature was reported from the Taieri Plains, in Otago. In this second instance a surgeon is called upon to attend the wife of a funner, but lie arrives at the residence of bis patient in such a state—falling as he alights from his vehicle —that he is very properly refused admission. An investigation before a magistrate shewed, notwithstanding the emphatic testimony of the medical man concerned to the contrary, that he was, at the time, in a disgracefully unlit condition to attend any patient. In to-day’s paper appears a telegram of a shocking aifair which has just occurred at AATnton in Southland. It is stated that a certain Dr Moifat was called upon to attend a Airs Camci’on, in her confinement, but failed successfully to deliver the child, and went away, and when asked to return be refused. Eventually another doctor was called in, but too late to be of any real use, the child being dead when born and the mother dying afterwards. The doctor has been arrested fur manslaughter pending the result of a Coroner’s inquest. Let ns hope, notwithstanding the well-known leaning of coroners and medical men towards each other, that the enquiry will be of a more satisfactory nature than that which took place over the unfortunate Southland prisoner. Wc arc not informed whether the conduct attributed to Dr Moffat was due to over-indulgence in drink, although tlus would be a charitable inference. But even if such was the ease, if the facts are correctly stated, his brutal behaviour is none the less reprehensible. Our object in inviting attention to these illustrations is to show the defenceless state of society and the medical profession itself. In almost any other walk of life but the medical, the violation of social laws brings about a suitable punishment The street scavenger who is found staggering at bis work is speedily dismissed from his employment, the tradesman who becomes overbearing, disrespectful to bis customers, or neglects his business, speedily finds himself in poverty, the clergyman that ventures to indulge in the harmless frivolities of life is dispossessed of his pulpit, and the solicitor or attorney who is convicted of fraud or malpractice is struck off the rolls. But unfortunately for the medical profession there is no efficient method of purging their ranks of the black and scabby sheep that so often bring respectable practitioners into general disrepute. Medical men may steep themselves in vicious excesses, but their diploma cannot be interfered with. Thus it happens that what ought to be one of the noblest and purest of pursuits is degraded, and the respect-

able suffer from the degradation wrought by a few scrapcgraco.s. Wc do not appeal alone to the legislature, nor should it be necessary to appeal to the public opinion, but tre trust the members of the medical profession will perceive themselves the necessity for taking joint action with the view of securing by process of law the eradication, when necessary, of the careless, drunken, sensual idiots who arc rapidly bringing disgrace upon an honorable profession.