cases
'objectionable,' and on these grounds seek to avoid them. Others boldly
declare, that as most of such cases are the result of unnatural and
immoral habits, the sufferers are justly punished for their conduct,
and are unworthy of the attention and sympathy of any one.

"Now I conceive this to be a monstrous fallacy; for surely it is
entirely beyond the scope of any medical man's duty to sit in judgment
on the applicants for his professional services. According to my idea of
professional duty, every man is bound to do all in his power to afford
relief to every sufferer who seeks it at his hands, without question as
to the causes and nature of the malady."

Speaking of one of his patients the same writer says:

"He had consulted one of the most eminent members of the medical
profession; and this gentleman evidently listened to his narration of
his case with great impatience and indifference, and upon the conclusion
of his history handed him a prescription, saying: 'There, take that for
six weeks, and if it does not do you any good, I don't know what will.'
The interpretation the patient put on his conduct and the remarks was,
that he need not trouble himself to call again.

"Now, I have the pleasure of personally knowing the professional
gentleman here referred to, and during the last twenty years have been
in the constant habit of meeting him in consultation, and I am sure,
from my knowledge of him, that his behavior resulted from no intentional
unkindness on his part, but solely from the unfortunate feeling of
reluctance to attend to such cases, which, both from my own observations
and from information obtained from patients, I know to be entertained by
too many members of the profession. * * * I am well aware that patients
of this class are often most tedious in the narration of their cases;
that the details they conceive themselves bound to enter upon are most
painful, not to say disgusting, to hear; nevertheless we must, as in
many other instances in the discharge of our duties, submit with
patience, taking the rough and smooth with the same equanimity, and
in the special cases in question, we should endeavor to forget the
patient's vices in his woes."

Another distinguished physician writes:

"I cannot disregard the appeals of unhappy and humiliated people. Men
have come to me who were ashamed to show their organs because of their
diminutiveness, and who practiced masturbation and lived in celibacy
rath