Dillon, Joseph A.

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 10 | Number 4 Article 4October 1942The Catholic Physician and His Sphere of InfluenceJoseph A. DillonFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqRecommended CitationDillon, Joseph A. (1942) "The Catholic Physician and His Sphere of Influence," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 10 : No. 4 , Article 4.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol10/iss4/4THE LIN ACRE QUARTERLY THE CATHOLIC PHYSICIAN AND HIS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE BY J OSEPH A. DILLON, M.D. ~-.oR:\l E il Pn ES£U I·: ~T o t•' THE FEnt:RATlON (Posthumously printed) The Catholic physician is a blend of Catholicity and medical ethics. From his childhood, he has assimila t ed Christian ideas . His fa mily life has unconsciously developed his sense of religious duty . In his college days, he learns the real inwardness of the truths of his religion. When he decides upon entering the profession, he finds admission to medical college is render ed difficult by r eason of quotas. Naturally candidates feel that there is discrimina tion. To some ext ent ther e is, but this is according to general regula tions. It is impossible for examiner s to fa irly a ppraise each applicant. Hence the need of a thorough and honest statement of qualifications. R eal merit will always be r ecog-nized, but the applicant must be honestly presented. No young Catholic graduate of ability can · fa il to enter medicine, if properly guided and sponsor ed. It is here that the prominent Catholic physi-cian can help. 'IVhen the young aspi r a nt st arts upon his medical course he soon becomes aware of innuendoes and religious ridicule of some of his teacher s . H e learns tha t he must ma ke his own decisions on many questions of ~thics . The advan-tage is that he has absolute au-[86 J thority to guide him . He may de-cide the question by his moral sense or he may simply use the rules that are laid down for his direction . By either method, he has the real truth. The more that is known of the decisions of the Church, the greater r espec t there is for her infallibility. When the y oung physician be-comes an interne, it ma kes a tre-mendous difference whether he works in a Catholic or public or non-sect a rian hospital. In one atmosphere, the p atient is consid-er ed a fellow-being, spiritual a s well as physical. U nconsciously, the doctor brings a different ap-proach, a sympathy with suffer-ing, which is not universally the exp erience of the ordinary hospi-t a l case. The r eligious life of the Catholic hospita l influences every patienf, whether of our faith or not. In the non-sectaria n or pub-lic hospital, there is a n indifference in r eligious matters and her e the young interne can do much, if he has character a nd ma nliness and is not afra id to live the t enet s of his r eligion . H ere he is placed "on his own" and, just like a stu-dent in one of the big univer sities, must be well-grounded in his faith if he is to escape the p agan philos-ophy of some of hi s professors. This despite counter influence of l~· THE LIN AC RE QU A RTERLY Newman Clubs which operate upon lamentably short time. Then agam there IS the Cath-olic interne m a hospita l of an-other faith. H ere bigotry, though diminished, still exists . The heads of these institutions, usuall y clergymen, and their lay co-wovkers, certainly do not encour-age members of our faith to prac-tice their religion. Formerly , the doors of such institutions were closed to the young Catholic doc-tor. Admiss ions later became more liberal and our Catholic physicians wer e r ece ived and judged by their actions. An instance of th e r espect shown a man who st a nds for his principles and who quietly mam-fests his faith came to my notice a few years ago. A young Cath-olic doctor, upon fini shing his in-terneship 111 one of the la rgest Episcopalian hospita ls m this country, was called to the office of the clergyman in charge, a nd was greatly surprised and touched to recetve the highest words of praise beca use he had gone out to Mass each day. The superinten-dent, although he had said noth-ing about it, had noticed this and had also seen the good influence this doctor had upon the other in -ternes. This incident shows us how much the earnest Catholic doctor can do to br·eak down the prejudice of those outside the fold. The Catholic interne who strictly obeys the abstinence laws of his Church has the universal respect of his fellows. Soon the doctor goes forth into the world and shows that he is not a Catholic whose only contacts with the Church are a t baptism and, if the Grace of God be given him, at death . H e senses tha t he is judged by different standa rds . What 1s condoned m others, ts held against him. The world pays this tribute to the Catholic Church. Witness the statements of the birth controllers when they t a ke pams to make the gullible public believe that their methods are not a t variance with the ethics of the Church. Notice how they t ell of the percentage of Catholic women who seek advice m their clinics, but never a word of the percentage of Presbyterians, Episcopalians or other non-Catholics. Much 1s expected of us because we have been g1ven much. How ma ny opportunities to do good may be found by our young practitioner ! There is the difficult labor case with mother and child in j eopardy. H ere he acts as a Christian and with impa rtia l justi ce works to save the life of both-sacrificing neither to expediency. Again there is the girl who begs for abortion to avoid disgrace. How often with kindly word and effort, can such a woman be placed where she can atone for her error and not add a most grievous sin to one that is more eas ily forgiven. The doctor often has oppor-tunities that a re closed to the priest. The fact that he is a co-religionist appeals to the patient a nd the physician has influence be-[ 87 J l i' l I I I• I• , n • ' l 1! THE LINA O RE QUARTERLY cause of his a dministrations that relieve physical pain and suffering. This puts the p a tient in a recep-tive frame of mind and often causes him to sp eak of things that have been troubling him spiritu-a lly. This fact is well utilized by the medical miss ionary. Again there is the dangerously ill Catholic who would p ass unre-p entant into another world did not his physician advise the attendance of the priest . In lo'ng continued illness, religious solace is of ines-timable physical help. Extreme unction is the sacra-ment of the seriously ill, not neces-sarily the sacrament of the dying. It is surprising how often relatives and friends delay the administra-tion of the last rites of the Church and how subterfuges must be in-vented so as not to cause an antici-pated frightening of the patient. The sequel is that the sick person is pleased, not alarmed. It is for -gotten "that the prayers of the Church help the sick man." Even in religious communities this t en-dency to delay is sometimes found, · the associates fearing to alarm their confrere. It is a serious re-sponsibility for a Catholic doctor to take a chance by delay, when preparation for the other world is one of the rea l objects of a re-ligious life. By reason of his association with things Catholic in his daily work, the Catholic doctor is asked to ass i!> t in parish affa irs, to visit the sick poor, to act as sponsor in confirmation, to participate m Church ceremonies, to advise m parochial school hygiene, to g en-erally supervise the health of stu-dents. Religious orders r efer their ap-plicants to be judged as to physi-cal fitness . Mental conditions a nJ family. history must be investi-gated. The importance of this is not apprec ia ted by the non-Catholic phys ician, who in these cases may write a certificate of health in the same spirit as he does an excuse for absence from work. In the inter est of r eligious communities, psychoses, nervous attacks, insomnia, bad personal habits, defective hereditv, must be discover ed, jusf as much as physi-cal defects of hea rt, lungs and nutrition . Epilep sy is a se rious impediment. H yst eri a is some-times a nother name fot· bad tem-per. Above a ll these, however, con-sider the questions which are sub-mitted to the doctor by th e Church a uthorities : The question of mira cles which a re presented in the pmcedures for canonization . Proof of miracles at shrines, a nd examin ation of pilgrims who seek cures. The verification of extrao rdi -nary manifestations - stigmata, liquefaction of blood, etc. R eports on cases in which nul -lifica tion of marriage is asked. Sometimes pre-nuptial examina-tions . Advice as to the nece s ity of dispensation from laws of the Church. The management of men-tal cases arising amongst those of r 88 1 THE LINAORE QUARTERLY the religious profession. The attending physician in a hospital exercises great influence. His example is considerable over the religious sense of the internes, who often have the carelessness of youth m regard to matters spiritual. Catholic graduates should be assisted in their quest for interne-ship. Only in this manner, can hospitals develop a ble assistants who later can t a ke the places of retired member s of the staff, thus doing away with the oft-repeated assertion that suitable physicians cannot be found to fill the higher stations. Every examining boa rd should look with eager eyes to-wards men of our faith who seek positions in Catholic hospitals. Sometimes there is a monopoly ex-isting in hospitals and they ·are understaffed, whilst many able and ambitious physicians seek in vain for positions on the board. When "attendings" are few, thorough study of a case with intense clin-ical investigation is impossible. It must be r emembered that the hos-pital has the fun ction of develop-ing medical science as well as car-ing fo1· the sick. A hospital with a large census and a small s t a ff is holding clo ed the door of op-portunity for itself and for the profession of medicine. It is the duty of Catholic physi-cians to enlighten the world in the special knowledge which they pos-sess . Bigotry dies slowly, even amongst the educated classes. l\fany of the medica l profession at·e a stonished at a simple declat·a-tion of faith made by a scientist. Miracles are ridiculed even in offi-cial publications. A few yea rs ago, the devotions of Lourdes a nd St. Anne de Beaupres were slurred by a leading hea lth publication that is issued under medical aus-pices. The leading medical jour-nal saw fit to make an offensive joke regarding prayers in a con-vent school. The genera l profession took no-tice when one of the greatest medi-cal scientists of our age stated his belief in mira cles. Though univer-sally appreciated for his scientific work, some of his colleagues were quick to state tha t the doctor's op-portunities for observation were limited by his la boratory work. Never before had his judgment been questioned. The words of Dr. Alexis Carrel upon the mir-acles of LoUI·des shin e forth and show again tha t true science a nd faith are ever one. H e states "As the laws of ther-modynamics make p erpetual mo-tion imposs ible, physiological laws oppose miracles. Such is still the attitude of most physiologists and physicians. However, in view of the facts observed during the las t fifty year s, this attitude cannot be sustained. The most important cases of miraculous healing ha ve been repot·ted by the Medical Bureau of Lourdes. Our present conception of the influence of pt·ayer upon pathological lesions is based upon the observation of patients who have been cured a l-most instantan eously of various affection , such as p eritoneal tu-[ 89] THE LINACRE berculos is, co ld abscesses, osteitis, suppurating wounds, lupus, can-ce r, et c. The process of healing changes little from one individual to another. Often, a n acute pain. Then a sudden sensation of bemg cured. In a few seconds, a few minutes, at the most a few hours, wounds arc cicatrized, p athologi-ca l symptoms disappear, appetite returns. * * * The miracle is chiefly characterized by a n ex-h eme acceleration of the process of r epair. * * * The only condi-tion indispensable to the occur-rence of the phenomenon is prayer ." This is the judgment of a re-cipient of the Nobel prize, the in-ventor of the Carrel-Dakin solu-tion, th e student of the processes of the prolongation of life-prob-ably the g reatest scientist of our times. M edico-religious ques tions must be studied in their totality. It does not suffice that a theologian demonstrate a point in theology and a physician a study in biology a nd the reader be left to coordi -na t e ideas which may not apply to the a rne phenomenon. In Catholic physicians' groups t hese points arc discussed under proper ecclesiastical guidance. Many member s of our profess iOn arc not grounded in good princi-ples- men who perform ova riec-tomy a fter Caesarian section, in-du ce a bortion for causes which they call justifiable, use immoral methods for diagnos is of sterility, narcotize dy ing patients even at ri sk of shortening life, r ecommend QUARTERLY contraceptive methods, perform mutilating operations under guise of eugenics. These procedures vio-late the Catholic's mora l code a nd some m·c in violation of the oath which every physician takes when the degree of M.D. is confer red. Mental sc ience has its legitimate spher e, but the Church warns ' against mcursLOns into realms which endanger the soul, such as dream interpretations, hypnotism, mysterious cults, diabolic · phe-nomena . True rcbgion is the bes t p sycho-ther-apy . What peace of mind ac-companies the consola tion of pen-ance, eucharist a nd extreme unc-tion! Sacramenta l confession is the supreme relief to the disturbed mind. R emorse is the torture of the unrepentant soul. A beneficent Providence dulls and obliterates the senses of the dy ing patients. Ther e is a Catholic viewpoint upon sex educa tion, psycho-analysis, spiritism, evolution, eu-genics, limitation of family. By unity, phys icians can best controvert pagan ideas . Organ-iza tion is needed to offset cam-p a •gns in stituted to lowe•· the standa•·ds of existing la ws. Without sacrifice of p•·incipl:.!s, embarrass ing problems arc being solved and the so-called unkind a nd inhuman situations a r e being clea red by the light of science. Caesari an section has displaced craniotomy upon the living child. Much has been learned upon the subj ect of extra-uterine preg-nancy. It is hoped that hypererni -S IS of the gravid woman may be [ 901 THE LINA C RE QU A RTERL Y controlled through studies Ill chemistry and endocrinology. As the Jaws of nature a nd r eligion come from the same source, sci-ence must agree with the rules of faith. There is need of Christian ethics in large medical assemblies. Sound principles a re guides in deliber a-tion and decision . Catholic physi-cians are often r espected, not be-cause of their f a ith, but by reason of the sterling principles which imbue their per sonality. Such men a re recognized a nd their ideas compel attention. The setback which birth control propaganda received a t a recent medica l convention is easily a ttri-butable to the sound counsel a nd leadership of a physician well -grounded in Catholic ethics . The development of the spirit-ual, scientific and professional cul-ture of the Catholic phys icia n is enhanced by a ssocia tion with his fellows in organizations, reunions, retreats, pilgrimages , confer ences, libraries , and reference centers. Such subj ects as the action of the soul of the mother upon th e fetus in conception, g estation a nd lactation; the death of the body and of its elements ; the pass ing of the soul; the unknown faculties of the mind; t elep athy; cla irvoy-ance, are interesting studies for Catholic phys icians' groups . A French physician, devoted son of the Church, active in the Guild of Saints Luke, Cosmas a nd Damien, thus writes : "One should r emember the aim of human life : to know God, to love Him, to serve Him and thus to atta in et ernal life. I~ ife which is not aimed towa rds this end is fal se a nd wasted. "Even if the doctor be the wisest in the world, most devoted to the s ick, the best f a ther to his family, give the best that is in him to so-ci a l works-all this will be noth-ing if he I S not turned towa rds God. "'iVhen one r eads agam the ardent exhortation of Saint P aul on cha rity - 'Love God with a ll y our soul, with all your hea r t , with all your strength and the re-ma inder will be given you in a bun -da nce'- then the love of neighbor should inspire his work. "How many doctors have made their studies in science, in letters, ha ve t a ken advan ced courses in medicine, a nd ha ve not p assed the fir st st age of their religious knowl-edge. They dispute the decisions of the Holy Office, the encyclicals of the Popes, the rules of the Church a nd confound the Immac-ula te Conception with the Inca r-nation. "The r e1igious culture of the Catholic physicia n should excel his worldly knowledge, if he does not wish to find himself in intellectual disorder- the most dangerous to the spiritua l point of view. How can he dare to decide questions if he does not fu!J y open his soul to .the Light of the World! "Many physicians cultivate some hobby- painting, sculpture, photography , history, a rcheology, literature, sport. In the vernacu-l 91 l THE LINACRE QUARTERLY Jar of the day, the chief hobby of a Catholic physician should be his religion. "Medicine can only be an exact science when it is based upon pre-cise knowledge of the nature of man, of his origin and of his destiny. "Naturally the spiritual life of the Catholic doctor based upon Revelation and sustained by the teaching of the Church, will be realized only by the practical fol-lowing of the Sacraments. The cff'ot·t of man is vain who is not vivified by God, by the intimate union with God who gives us the Sacraments. It is not the man who acts, but God who acts in the man." THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIFICATION Some physicians think it is commercial to specify a maker's name. On the other hand, a physician of international reputation and un-impeachable standing has expressed himself as follows: "I invariably specify Mead's whenever I can, because I feel that when I don't specify a definite brand, the effect may be the same as though I were to specify that any brand would do. "By not specifying, I let down the bars to a host of houses, many entirely unknown to me and others deserving no support at my hands. "When I specify Mead's I may be showing favoritism, but at least I know that I am protecting my results. If, at the same time, my self-interested act encourages a worthy manufacturer to serve me bet-ter, I can see no harm in that." Mead Johnson & Company, Evansville, Ind., U. S. A ., have to depend upon the physician to specify MEAD'S because they do not advertise or "merchandise" their products to the public. [ 92) 

The Catholic Physician and His Sphere of Influence

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The Catholic Physician and His Sphere of Influence

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