Agatha Young (1898–1974)

I enjoyed this book about a country doctor in the small town of Haddon, Vermont, who, for the past 30 years has owned and operated a private hospital. When first beginning his practice in Haddon 30 years ago, the citizens of this small town had no hospital and Dr. Moore was left money when his wife and decided to try to fill the need. With that legacy, he bought a large older mansion and turned it into a hospital. Fast forward 30 years.... there are some people (who have motives, namely money), and want to see the private hospital done a way with and a new, government funded hospital built at great expense, without regard for what is best for the town or its citizens. Dr. Moore is pained by this attack, as for these past decades, has dedicated his career to helping his fellow citizens, even at great personal sacrifice. He never made a profit off the hospital, in fact, it usually lost money, but he realized that money is not the main concern.
There were a few scenes in the book I thought particularly poignant. The first: Dr. Moore is taking a new young city doctor, Dr. Armstrong, from New York around on house calls with him to show him the ropes, and at one home visit, a little boy with sores all over his body is being seen. Dr. Armstrong is alarmed at never having seen such as this, but Dr. Moore is not alarmed at all. Upon learning that the illness is nothing more than chicken pox, Dr. Armstrong realizes how little he really knows. Dr. Moore then says, "I can see how that might happen. So much basic science a medical student has to learn today that there's not the time there was for simple symptoms."

Another scene: Dr. Moore sends Dr. Armstrong out to check on and elderly patient, Miss Henderson, and Dr. Armstrong is alarmed by her condition. Dr. Armstrong wants to admit her and run tests, but Dr. Moore said he was aware of her condition and all that is wrong with her is that she is old and her body is wearing out and not much could be done for her. Dr. Armstrong does not like the decision, but Dr. Moore says, "You're used to working in a big hospital, and it's natural for you to put a good deal of reliance on the hospital and its facilities. But to old Alice the hospital is where you go to die. The poor old thing would be terrified. It would be cruel, and all you'd gain would be a little detail about the extent to which her worn-out body had deteriorated." Throughout, we see Dr. Armstrong come to an understanding that he may have a fine scientific mind, and want to figure out a problem within a person's body, but he has no empathy for the feelings of others, which really comes home to him at the end of the book, when he suffers a large personal loss due to his practice of medicine.

The third scene I wish to share is a group of the town's doctors and their wives are together socially for a picnic and a man who is involved with the crusade against Dr. Moore's hospital and in favor of the new government funded one has invited himself along. The doctor's are complaining about the "increasing socialization of medicine", and Mr. Whitall (the self-invited intruder) says "you doctors will have lost a lot of self-determination in ten years time. " One of the doctors arguing with him states "Damn it, money means control. If the major share of 'health money' comes from government, then a bunch of bureaucrats will be telling me what to do. I don't like it and I won't have it. I work for my patients." Later when the intruder moodily departed the doctor said "There is nothing cockier than a government agency at his back."

I thought the book was good, and was bringing to light the plight of the then (1966) dying breed of hospital-- the private one and doctor's lamenting the fact that there seemed to be an effort to abolish them, which I too lament, as it was an alternative option that no longer exists, and the loss of an option is never good. The book is an oldie but goodie.… (more)