Medical History essays

Medical History essays Throughout any period of time, many changes occur, especially within the medical field. In a half of a century, the preoccupations and concerns of the American physician underwent a complete transformation. Two sources are the basis for this comparison, the first written by Benjamin Rush entitled Observations of the Duties of a Physician and the other was the first Code of Ethics by the American Medical Association. As a preliminary difference between the two sources, an examination of the authors should not be overlooked. The earlier source was written by a single man, while the second was a collaborative effort by an association. Thus, the knowledge of medicine was infectiously spread throughout the ever growing population in America. Over this spread of fifty years, other key differences can be observed. One that will be discussed is the American Medical Association stressed a superior level of professionalism. Another difference within the articles was the societal class of ph ysicians. The last noticed observation was about the role the patients played. In the article written by Benjamin Rush, he suggests certain behavioral acts to help the physician blend with the rest of society. An example and one of the most crucial recommendations was to live in the country, on a farm. By following this suggestion, the physician would show no superiority to the common people. Not only would superiority be defeated, but agriculture would benefit. Medicine is primarily based off of chemistry which works directly with agriculture. Thus the physician would share his discoveries for the advancements in medicine, and promote improvements within the country. Another benefit of living on a farm that Rush described was the occupation for the off, or healthy, season. Since the medical field was not as prospered, physicians could ...