The Calibration of Doctors.

have received preference either in technical treatment or in more imponderable human matters such as moral support and explanation. This in itself will help to sustain the faith of the public in its doctors, a faith which, though at root still sound, has suffered from the tendency of politicians to score party points out of the teething trouble of the service, and of irresponsible newspapers to magnify out of all proportion every patient's real or imagined grievance. How can this increased frequency of true consultation be achieved? In the first place by ceasing to restrict the use of domiciliary consultations to patients unfit to travel to hospital; perhaps even some of the monies set aside to improve practice might be used here. Possible abuse of this system is not likely to be a serious factor because the time element will preclude this for the consultant. And it must be a condition that both parties are present at the same time. Secondly, by opening up certain of the outpatient sessions to patients accompanied by general practitioner. Here again the time factor will preclude frivolous use of this facility. *Thirdly, by allowing, indeed encouraging, senior registrars to take part in the domiciliary consultations and outpatient consultation schemes, both with and without the presence of their chief. This will be a great help to many of these aspiring consultants in that they will gain early much greater experience of both doctor and patient in his natural environment and so facilitate that broadening of experience and wisdom which distinguishes a consultant from mere specialist. It may indeed help to abolish the state of affairs which was epitomized, I believe, by Sir Heneage Ogilvie who recounted an occasion when a man entered an interview a registrar and came out a consultant.