Free Essay About History Midterm

Medicine was a glamorous profession in the nineteenth century as it brought huge income and a higher social status to the physicians. Physicians competed with each other and strived to gain the maximum amount of knowledge possible in order to achieve success in their field. The well-educated and well-trained physicians played a great role in standardizing medical practices and contributed to the spread of medical knowledge to the public. The nineteenth century physicians revolutionized education by proclaiming doctrines and set up a great number of dispensaries and clinics to provide best medical care to the public, especially the poor . Physicians engaged into formalized relations with their colleagues and clients in order to increase their practice. They took all measures to make sure that their service was superior to that of the other physicians. They adopted therapies, such as vaccination to ensure rapidity in the recovery of the patients.
In order to succeed in their career, physicians took additional training in specialized fields, which not only increased their expertise, but also resulted in higher fees. A majority of the physicians moved to the larger cities so that they could treat the wealthy clients. Physicians tried their best to maximize their opportunities, prestige and influence for additional income and betterment in career. Some physicians also operated various medical colleges to gain profits. A few others administered invalid treatment therapies that relieved the illness of the patient for the short term, but created serious side effects in the long run . In the nineteenth century, the success or failure of the physicians depended on the immediate results, rather than a valid medical therapy. The treatment techniques available in the nineteenth century were herbs and vaccinations, which were not only inadequate, but also risky to administer. Thus, the physicians had to employ several alternatives to stand out in the crowd amidst tough competition and achieve a successful career.

References

Rothstein, William G. American Physicians in the Nineteenth Century: From Sects to Science. JHU Press, 1992.