If I had pneumonia, I would rather be treated by a village doctor who would give me a cold compress and a cough medicine, with possibly digitalis thrown in, than with such polypharmacy.
While some patients are treated in hospital-factories on Ford mass production principles, there is an army of 32,000 panel doctors who fight for their daily bread, labouring hard in bitterness of soul. Two years ago an observer was sent to the waiting room of a busy panel doctor in Danzig, who “treated” 136 patients in two hours, giving each one less than one minute. Such treatment is no longer an art, it is not even a handicraft.
I have on purpose picked out a few extreme examples. I know, of course, that physicians do valuable work in hospitals and in general practice. I know, of course, that we cannot go back to the Hippocratic times when the doctor dominated the whole art of healing. Laboratories and medical mechanics are as necessary as are division of labour, railways, motor cars, electric light, etc.
However, we must regain the attitude of the great Greek physicians of antiquity. Doctors should imitate August Bier and be physicians, surgeons, gynaecologists, eye specialists, ear specialists, radiologists, homoeopaths, etc. At least that should be the doctors ideal, and the physician should always remember this ideal. He should have an open mind, desire to learn and apply criticism to his work. Men who are animated by this idea will lead the art of healing to a higher plane.