The presentation prepared based on the Paper of Sir Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homeopathy.
It shares the insights about types of the physician and differentiating caring and genuine physician in today's busy world.
1. The Choice of A Family
Physician
- Sir Samual Hahnemann
By
Dharmesh Bhadja
The student of homoeopathy
2. …Pray give me your advice…
…on what principles must I choose a
physician in order to avoid the bait of
the ordinary run of recommendations,
in which we are not always sharp
enough to perceive the point of the
hook?
3. A really good man of this profession
…have recourse to some circuitous
methods, Which shall guide you to your object
with not less certainty than the knowledge
attained by school learning can give.
Certain trivial things in their outward
appearance,
Certain mode of conduct5ino themselves when
professionally engaged
And some other accessories characterize the
different classes of medical men.
4. Look how…
He walks into the crowd that
respectfully expects him,
With carefully measured steps,
with expanded chest and elevated
head;
5. How he announces the dignity of
his great person by a gracious, slow
inclination of his body,
And how he decides the most
important question with a few short
words and a disdainful air.
6. He only honors the great people in the
company with his notice,
He flatters them in high sounding phrases,
in order to be entertained by them in return,
And he talks about the highest personages
in the land and the greatest savants, as he
would about the most ordinary trifles which
may be estimated with the fifth part of
glance.
7. Merit rewarded or neglected,
Heart-breaking domestic occurrences
Danger and delivery,
Life and death
All are the same to him.
Nothing produces any change in his frigid
manner,
or at the most they elicit from him a witty
remark, which the crowd of his admirers do
not omit to acknowledge with their applauses.
8. Never be foolish to select…
Such an peculiar part must engage the whole mind of the
best actor; it has to be learned, rehearsed and played.
Who can be surprised that the details of a case of disease
are tiresome to him,
He defers till tomorrow doing anything for the urgent
symptoms of some poor man, the sole support of a
wretched family, because he must go and leave his card
on some lord who is passing through the town.
His medical wisdom must be but a thin coating which he
has enough to do to keep well polished so that all
uninvited inquiring glance may be arrested by its mirror
like gloss and be kept away without having entered its
shallow depth.
9. So artistic story…by our
master…really interesting
See the way of portraying the
physician with simple words and
correct effectiveness.
10. “…by half past four in the morning he is in
his carriage, for this morning he has thirty
visits to pay to patients.
His horses foam with the rapidity of the
pace, and have to be changed for fresh ones
in a few hours.
Whilst he drives along he is seen to bend in
deep meditation over a long clearly written
list, wherein the names and abodes of the
patients who are sighing for him, are carefully
marked.
11. …he looks at his watch which
indicates the seconds, he calls to
the coachman who instantly draws
up.
Out he jumps, says a few words to
his servant and runs up the stairs.
Doors fly open at his approach,
three steps bring him to his
patient’s side…
12. …he feels the pulse, asks his a couple of
question, and without waiting a reply he calls
for pen, ink and paper.
And after deep reflection for two seconds in
his chair he suddenly dashes off the compels
prescription, politely hand s it to the patient
for his uninterrupted use with a few solemn
works, rubs his hands together, makes his
bow and disappears, in order to be with
another patient six seconds afterwards on
who also he bestows his tow minutes of
advice…
13. …At his consultation hour his ante-room
teems with the friends of patients, sick-
nurses, midwives, surgeons, and
patients.
There he dispenses in profusion,
prescriptions, recommendations,
advices-like tickets for the theatre…”
14. An example
…whose personality as the physician
Impressed ( ? ) our master…
The Late surgeon in the army
Interesting example with finest description
probably you ever had read…
Go through the original pages of lesser
writing…
15. “In a calumnious mind no love for
mankind can stay, and he whose
head is occupied in trying to
ingratiate himself by the elegancies
of the toilette, by indirect self-
praise, and all sorts of dishonorable
practices, can not possess any real
merit.”
16. Search for some plain man…
of sound common sense, who takes great pains
to ascertain the truth of all he hears and says,
and does not merely look to its passing muster,
who know how to give clear and condensed
information respecting everything that belongs
to his art,
and never obtrudes his opinion unasked or at an
improper time, and who is no stranger to
everything else important for man as citizen of
the world to know.
17. More especially…
He/she does not show temper nor get angry, except
when he beholds injustice,
Who never turns away unmoved from any except
flatterers, who has attentively to the complaints of those
who seek his aid,
And does not pronounce an opinion without mature
reflection,
Who prescribed but few generally single, medicines in
their natural state,
Who keeps out of the way until he is sough for, who is
not silent respecting the merits of his colleagues, but
does not praise himself.
A friend to order, quiet and beneficence.
18. Before you fix him finally…(foot-note)
See how he behaves to poor, and if he
occupies himself at home unseen with some
useful work!
yours,
S. H.
19. calumnious - the making of false statements about
somebody with malicious intent
ingratiate - to try to win somebody's favor by
pleasing him or her, especially in order to gain
an advantage
toilette - the process of attending to your personal
appearance and making it presentable
elegancies - a combination of graceful stylishness,
distinction, and good taste in appearance,
behavior, or movement