A wise physician has many proper ways of providing for the health and strength of both parents and children without advocating practices which are a snare for innocence. Let him insist with all his patients on the cultivation of healthful habits for the family and the individual; wholesome and not over-delicate food; moderation in eating and drinking; regular and manly exercise, especially in the open air; early hours for retiring and rising. But, above all--and this is directly to our present purpose--let him show the greatest regard for the laws of morality, the main support of individual and social happiness. His views upon such matters, manifested alike in his conduct and his conversation, but especially in his management of cases involving the application of moral principles, will go far to influence the community in which he moves. His task is to be a blessing to his fellow-men, a source of happiness and security to individuals and to society. LECTURE VI. THE PHYSICIAN'S PROFESSIONAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES. Gentlemen, so far I have explained the duties which the physician has in common with all other men, and which arise directly from the natural law independently of any civil legislation. The natural law requires the Doctor to respect the life of the unborn child, thus forbidding craniotomy and abortion. It also obliges him to protect his patients from the baneful effects of venereal excesses. Over these matters human law has no control, except that it may and ought to punish such overt acts as violate the rights of individuals, or seriously endanger the public welfare. We shall now consider the physician's natural rights and duties in regard to matters which civil and criminal legislation justly undertake to regulate. One of the chief functions of civil authority is to provide for the observance of contracts. Now, the physician in his professional services acts under a double contract, a contract with the state and a contract with his individual patients. By accepting his diploma of M.D. from the college faculty, and indirectly from the civil authority, he makes at least an implicit contract with the state, by which he receives certain rights conditioned on his performance of certain duties. In offering his services to the public, he also makes an implicit contract with his patients by which he obliges himself to render them his professional services with ordinary skill and diligence on condition of receiving from them the usual compensation. I. The chief rights conferred on him by the state are these: 1. Protection against all improper interference with his professional ministrations. 2. Protection for his professional career by the exclusion of unauthorized practitioners. 3. Immunity from responsibility for evil consequences that may result without his fault from his medical or surgical treatment of patients. 4. Enforcement of his right to receive due compensation for his professional services.