Abstract
Attempts by nineteenth-century American physicians to upgrade the status of the medical profession influenced the development of their code of ethics, as chronicled here. Unlike the case in Great Britain, physicians in the U.S. did not constitute a homogenous class in background and education. To distinguish 'regular' physicians from other practitioners such as homeopaths, medical societies tended to emphasize adherence to 'orthodox medical beliefs' in defining the standards of the profession. (KIE abstract)
