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you a prescription。〃 Which he did； and told me to call again in a
fortnight。 At the end of three months I had called six times； and
each time got a new recipe； and detected no difference in the course
of my 〃alopecia。〃 After I had got through my treatment； I showed my
recipes to my family physician； and we found that three of them were
the same he had used； familiar； old…fashioned remedies； and the
others were taken from a list of new and little…tried prescriptions
mentioned in one of the last medical journals； which was lying on the
old doctor's table。 I might as well have got no better under his
charge； and should have got off much cheaper。
〃The next trouble I had was a little redness of the eyes； for which
my doctor gave me a wash； but my wife would have it that I must see
an oculist。 So I made four visits to an oculist； and at the last
visit the redness was nearly gone；as it ought to have been by that
time。 The specialist called my complaint conjunctivitis； but that
did not make it feel any better nor get well any quicker。 If I had
had a cataract or any grave disease of the eye； requiring a nice
operation on that delicate organ； of course I should have properly
sought the aid of an expert； whose eye； hand； and judgment were
trained to that special business； but in this case I don't doubt that
my family doctor would have done just as well as the expert。
However； I had to obey orders； and my wife would have it that I
should entrust my precious person only to the most skilful specialist
in each department of medical practice。
〃In the course of the year I experienced a variety of slight
indispositions。 For these I was auriscoped by an aurist；
laryngoscoped by a laryngologist； ausculted by a stethoscopist； and
so on； until a complete inventory of my organs was made out； and I
found that if I believed all these searching inquirers professed to
have detected in my unfortunate person； I could repeat with too
literal truth the words of the General Confession； 〃And there is no
health in us。〃 I never heard so many hard names in all my life。 I
proved to be the subject of a long catalogue of diseases； and what
maladies I was not manifestly guilty of I was at least suspected of
harboring。 I was handed along all the way from alopecia； which used
to be called baldness； to zoster； which used to be known as shingles。
I was the patient of more than a dozen specialists。 Very pleasant
persons； many of them； but what a fuss they made about my trifling
incommodities！ Please look at that photograph。 See if there is a
minute elevation under one eye。'
〃'On which side？' I asked him； for I could not be sure there was
anything different on one side from what I saw on the other。
〃'Under the left eye。 I called it a pimple； the specialist called it
acne。 Now look at this photograph。 It was taken after my acne had
been three months under treatment。 It shows a little more distinctly
than in the first photograph； does n't it？'
〃'I think it does；' I answered。 'It does n't seem to me that you
gained a great deal by leaving your customary adviser for the
specialist。'
〃'Well；' my friend continued； 'following my wife's urgent counsel； I
kept on； as I told you； for a whole year with my specialists； going
from head to foot； and tapering off with a chiropodist。 I got a deal
of amusement out of their contrivances and experiments。 Some of them
lighted up my internal surfaces with electrical or other illuminating
apparatus。 Thermometers； dynamometers； exploring…tubes； little
mirrors that went half…way down to my stomach； tuning…forks；
ophthalmoscopes； percussion…hammers； single and double stethoscopes；
speculums； sphygmometers；such a battery of detective instruments I
had never imagined。 All useful； I don't doubt； but at the end of the
year I began to question whether I should n't have done about as well
to stick to my long tried practitioner。 When the bills for
〃professional services〃 came in； and the new carpet had to be given
up； and the old bonnet trimmed over again； and the sealskin sack
remained a vision； we both agreed； my wife and I； that we would try
to get along without consulting specialists； except in such cases as
our family physician considered to be beyond his skill。'〃
The Counsellor's story of his friend's experiences seemed to please
the young Doctor very much。 It 〃stirred him up；〃 but in an agreeable
way； for； as he said； he meant to devote himself to family practice；
and not to adopt any limited class of cases as a specialty。 I liked
his views so well that I should have been ready to adopt them as my
own； if they had been challenged。
The young Doctor discourses。
〃I am very glad；〃 he said； 〃that we have a number of practitioners
among us who confine themselves to the care of single organs and
their functions。 I want to be able to consult an oculist who has
done nothing but attend to eyes long enough to know all that is known
about their diseases and their treatment；skilful enough to be
trusted with the manipulation of that delicate and most precious
organ。 I want an aurist who knows all about the ear and what can be
done for its disorders。 The maladies of the larynx are very ticklish
things to handle； and nobody should be trusted to go behind the
epiglottis who has not the tactus eruditus。 And so of certain other
particular classes of complaints。 A great city must have a limited
number of experts； each a final authority； to be appealed to in cases
where the family physician finds himself in doubt。 There are
operations which no surgeon should be willing to undertake unless he
has paid a particular； if not an exclusive； attention to the cases
demanding such operations。 All this I willingly grant。
〃But it must not be supposed that we can return to the methods of the
old Egyptianswho； if my memory serves me correctly； had a special
physician for every part of the bodywithout falling into certain
errors and incurring certain liabilities。
〃The specialist is much like other people engaged in lucrative
business。 He is apt to magnify his calling； to make much of any
symptom which will bring a patient within range of his battery of
remedies。 I found a case in one of our medical journals； a couple of
years ago； which illustrates what I mean。 Dr。 ___________ of
Philadelphia； had a female patient with a crooked nose；deviated
septum； if our young scholars like that better。 She was suffering
from what the doctor called reflex headache。 She had been to an
oculist； who found that the trouble was in her eyes。 She went from
him to a gynecologist； who considered her headache as owing to causes
for which his specialty had the remedies。 How many more specialists
would have appropriated her； if she had gone the rounds of them all；
I dare not guess； but you remember the old story of the siege； in
which each artisan proposed means of defence which be himself was
r