INTERCOURSE OF PHYSICIANS, 258 Erroneous views in regard to consultations. “Jury of doctors.” Dictation not consultation. Giving opinions in relation to the past treatment. Offices of the _consulting_, and of the _attending_ physician defined. Freedom in consultation necessary. Between enemies, useless. Should be alone in consultation. Intrigues of dishonorable practitioners. Supposed want of agreement—favoring the impression for base purposes. Attributing changes, good or bad, to some remedy for selfish ends. Failing to defend a medical brother when circumstances fairly demand it. Making comparisons between cases. Undue attentions to the patients of others. Conduct of some when called to see the patient of another in case of unnecessary alarm. Physicians supposed to be too much attached to etiquette. Not so usually. Differences and quarrels of physicians—circumstances giving rise to them. Facility with which deception is practised in medicine. Peculiar relation of the physician to his employers. Cliques. Sectarian and other associations. Avoiding quarrels. Relations of elder physicians to their brethren. CHAPTER XIII. INTERFERENCE WITH PHYSICIANS, 275 Confidence which one feels in his physician no reason for disparaging others. Interference proper in some cases—quackery—gross ignorance—intemperance. Reckless attacks upon professional character. The lawyer rebuked. Free canvassing of the merits of physicians not improper. Interference in the sick room. Destroying confidence. Recommending medicines. Restricting physicians as to remedies employed. Frequency of physician’s visits to be mostly left to him. Anxiety of friends of the sick often embarrasses the physician. Case of the wife of Napoleon. Harrassing practitioner with inquiries and criticising his practice distract his attention, and therefore foil his skill. Same effect produced by the same causes in regard to other subjects. Criticised clergyman. Watched juggler. Defects in these analogies. CHAPTER XIV. MUTUAL INFLUENCE OF MIND AND BODY IN DISEASE, 288