In every large city we will find physicians of wealth and fame, of whose every movement the newspapers seem to have information in advance. How do they get it? Let us analyze the conditions.
Under his professional obligation Dr. Soakum is bound to observe and live up to the code of ethics. He prates loud and often about the beauties of an ethical life, and the uninitiated might well suppose that his was a model existence in this respect. But, is it not a trifle strange that whenever Dr. Soakum, owing to his great skill and fame, is called out of town to attend some prominent personage in another city the newspapermen know he has been summoned. More than this, they know where he is going, whom he is going to see, and what train he is going on. Strange, is it not?
It is no uncommon occurrence to read items like the following in the daily press:
Dr. Soakum, the distinguished specialist in chronic disorders, left for San Francisco yesterday, having been summoned by wire to attend the Hon. Million Moneybags, who is seriously ill with chronic nephritis. The patient, whose disability at this time is of grave import to a number of large business transactions, has been under the care of a number of famous physicians, but his great confidence in the skill of Dr. Soakum led to the hasty summoning of the latter.
Dr. Soakum, who was seen by our reporter just as he was boarding the Overland limited confirmed the report. He added that the time of his stay was uncertain, as the case is a most important one, and may demand his undivided attention for some weeks. During his absence Dr. Soakum’s vast practice will be looked after by his associate, Dr. Bleedum. He added that he was both surprised and annoyed to think the news had leaked out.
Surprised! Annoyed! Not on your life. This was only a bit of stage play, of dramatic action, on the part of Dr. Soakum. Real surprise, real annoyance and real anger would have resulted only from the failure of the reporter to appear after the careful arrangements which had been made to ensure his attendance.
How often have many of us read items like the following in the daily press:
At last there is hope for the consumptive. Dr. Killem, the eminent specialist, whose success in the treatment of tuberculosis has aroused wide interest in the medical profession, has made public the details of his treatment by means of which such wonderful results have been obtained.
“I would have done this long ago,” said Dr. Killem to a reporter for the Morning Howl, yesterday, “were it not that I desired to be absolutely certain as to the permanent efficacy of the treatment. Now that there is no longer room for doubt on this point I feel at liberty to act.
“The essential feature in my method is,”——