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tion has had very little influence with medical men, since very few medical societies have ever seen fit to adopt a fee bill, and when they have, the range of fees has been so wide as to suit the varying circumstances of every citizen, and has not therefore in any business sense governed or controlled the market." Many of the fees of lawyers are regulated by statute, and in other cases the judges are authorized to declare the value of legal services; but this has not subjected them to the serious imputation of having united in a trades-union conspiracy against the public.

The medical code repeatedly calls attention to our obligation to perform gratuitous services in certain cases, and to avoid always the suspicion of being actuated by mercenary motives. Can such suggestions be found in any of the codes adopted by trades-unions?

Every medical man knows that the object of our code is not to monopolize the market and to enhance the value of our services. Such an insinuation is only worthy of those outside of our profession who have no means of knowing to the contrary; but for any one who has spent most of his life in intimate social relations with his medical brethren in this country, and in

common with them has practiced his profession under the existing National Code-and therefore by this time ought to understand its real purposes, and to know in what light it is regarded by medical men,-for such a man to utter such a sentiment is in the highest degree unfair and disingenuous. If he does not know better, he certainly ought to know better.

Dr. Warren. You know, I presume, that the courts have in several instances refused to recognize the right of medical societies to discipline or expel, for offences against the code, any member who has a legal right to practice medicine: and in one case, I think, a mandamus was issued to compel a society to admit to fellowship a man whose empirical practices rendered him obnoxious. If the courts compel us therefore to associate with these men, of what use is the code? Of what use is it that you seek through the code to dissever yourself from those whom you cannot keep out of your societies, or discipline if they are actual members? Dr. Putnam. It never was the purpose of the code to discipline any one. Not one word is said about discipline in the code. It simply

informs the reader what conduct is, by those who sign the code, considered becoming medical men in their relations to each other, their patients, and the public; and what conduct they deem derogatory to the honor of the profession. It is true that the medical societies which, having adopted this code, have attempted to enforce its precepts by discipline, have sometimes been restrained from doing so by the courts. But this fact only shows that the courts, which are supposed to interpret and enforce the laws, understand that the laws intend to make no distinction between certain classes of empirics and physicians; and their occasional, but not uniform decisions upon this point only tend to confirm my opinion already expressed, that what the laws and the courts fail to do, we must do for ourselves. The laws make no distinction between honest, industrious citizens and street vagrants; both are alike entitled to vote, and to enjoy in all other respects the privileges and immunities of citizens; but it does not follow that society is not at liberty to make a distinction, or to draw a social line of absolute separation.

But really it is to us of the smallest possible importance whether we can keep irregulars out

of our societies or not. If admitted, they would render themselves more uncomfortable than they would us; but they seldom or never of late ask for admission. As for those who are actual members, an open and premeditated violation of the code on their part, or of any of the regulations of the society to which they have subscribed, and have thus given their formal approval and acceptance, would be certain to bring upon the offender a punishment more humiliating than any official action of the society could contemplate or inflict-he would be left to his own companionship-as would be the case, also, in any other social organization, whether religious, political, or commercial.

EIGHTH CONVERSATION.

What Fruit has the Code Borne?-There Cannot be two Schools in Medicine-Perkin's, the Botanic, Eclectic, Homœopathic, Hydropathic "Schools”— Mesmerism, Clairvoyance, Mind-Reading, Grahamism; Indian, Cancer and Salve Doctors.

Dr. Warren. A tree is known by its fruit What are the fruits which you can justly claim as having been borne by the code? I have been looking for some time, and especially since we began to talk upon this subject, but I am un able to see any valuable results which can be legitimately ascribed to the code.

Dr. Putnam. In what direction are you looking?

Dr. Warren. In the direction of the profession, and in the direction of the people.

Dr. Putnam. And you see nothing? Dr. Warren. Nothing that indicates that the code has exerted any healthful influence.