Philosophical Heritage
"The conditions necessary for the surgeon are four: first, he should
be learned; second, he should be expert; third, he must be ingenious; and
fourth, he should be able to adapt himself. It is required for the first
that the surgeon should know not only the prinicples of surgery, but also
those in medicine in theory and practice; for the second, that he should
have seen others operate; for the third that he should be ingenious, of
good judgement and memory to recognize conditions; and for the fourth, that
he be adaptable and able to accomodate himself to circumstances. Let the
surgeon be bold in all sure things, and fearful in dangerous things; let
him avoid all faulty treatments and practices. He ought to be gracious to
the sick, considerate to his associates, cautious in his prognostications.
Let him be modest, dignified, gentle, pitiful, and merciful; not covetous
nor an extortionsist of money; but rather let his reward be according to
his work, to the means of the patient, to the quality of the issue, and
to his own dignity."
- Guy de Chauliac 1300-1370 Ars Chirurgica |
