Medical Equilibrium

     Few men can endure the pressure of sudden and unexpected popularity. All literature teems with the annals of deplorable collapse under such circumstances. Skilled workmen, experienced financiers, brave soldier heroes, and astute statesmen have won such laurels that their heart is broken when new idols appear and claim attention, and their sunset is more melancholy than their sunrise was glorious. History would furnish enuf such instances to pack many volumes; current literature produces quite enuf for our consideration. Bill Anthony, lauded to the skies for doing his plain duty, died of a broken heart and at his own hand, because the fickle public had tired of its clay idol. Dewey breasted bravely the Spanish fleet in pursuance of duty, and bore his laurels bravely till one unfortunate act condemned him forever. Hobson sternly sought to win entrance to the jaws of death itself, because of duty; and soon fell from his high pedestal of fame because of a little foolish sentimentalism. We know the prestige and reputation that will follow the already prominent and famous physicians and surgeons who attended President McKinley, and we venture to predict that not one of them will “lose his head” thru the popularity which must necessarily follow attendance upon such a distinguisht [sic] personage. Medical men who know so well the use of the knife, suture, and cathartic, are in general too well balanced to be swept into foolishness by the flowing and ebbing tide of temporary popularity, and we expect each to wear his well won laurels with professional modesty and dignity.
     [The above was written when “everything was favorable,” and when it was expected that the President would recover. Now that the worst and the then unexpected has happened, we will not take back the above, for no blame attaches in any way to the medical attendants. However, success would have given the attendants a much greater reputation among the laity than failure, however blameless.]