title: [Ethical aspirations and the reality of medical practice at the end of the Ancien Regime].
abstract: At the end of the 18th century, economic survival was difficult for physicians. The medical market was crowded and to build (and seduce) a clientele, they had to pay particular attention to their appearance. Being well dressed and travelling by horse or in a carriage was necessary to demonstrate that they had a good reputation and were a "good" doctor. However, this still did not guarantee financial security for the doctor and his family. In an era when medical fees were only just beginning to be discussed, it was difficult to know how to bill patients and how to get paid. At the same time, the first texts on medical ethics appeared, insisting on modesty, authenticity, delicacy, and sincerity. In this article, by exploring personal archives and printed moral prescriptions, I will suggest that there were tensions between the everyday difficulties of medical practice and the recommendations on medical ethics, tensions that had consequences for the patient-doctor relationship.
authors: Programme de Sciences humaines en médecine, Institut d'ethique biomédicale, Faculté de médecine, Genève.
authors: Micheline
authors: M
authors: Louis-Courvoisier
mesh_terms: D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000266:history*; D005060:Europe; D005251:Fees, Medical / Q000941:ethics / Q000266:history; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics / Q000266:history; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics / Q000266:history*