Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-04-10

MAY HaNS " pcIIoiLH. iHS nolINo WHlCH
actuates in one case will in another when
the same object is to be attained, and the
man who obtains your practice by such
means will deceive you In regard to your
condition on your sick bed, if thereby he
can retain your confidence and patronage
And besides, as regards the physician him
self how humiliating must it be to him, if he
is not entirely devoid of sensibilty and self
respect to know that he is employed only
because his services are obtained for less
than those of some other can be who is pre-
ferred. Under such circumstances should
feel, when l visited the premises Of such a
patron, more like skulking into the kitchen
than going into the parlOr.
There is nothing which so much degrades
the profession as estimating the services Of
physicians in dollars and cents only. 1t is
humiliatng to say the least Of it. 1t is this
which degrades them 10 the character Of
mercenary, for instead of being regarded as
bcnefactors, physicians are looked upon as
hirelings who work only for compensation
in dollars and cents.
And what can be more beneath the char
acter which physician should possess and
maintain, than soliciting practice viva voce?
Instead Of this being countenanced and en-
couraged it sould be secuted with scorn and
contempt. 1t is an insult to any man hav-
ing proper views and feelings on the sub
ject, especially to propose to do his practice
for less than what is usual or customary,
which is equivalent TO to telling him that
you. believe his patronage can be bought for
few dollars. All that physician should
do, or can honorably do, to obtain practice
is to make simple announcement letting
the public know that he is a physician, that
he is ready to serve them in that capacity
and where he may be found. A resort to
any other direct means for this purpose sa-
vors Of the quack and demagogue and should
not be encouraged. Those who do SO do
: themselves, the profession and the commu-
. nlty gross injustice.
And as regards special arrangements, es
. pecially to contract by the year for stipu-
lated sum there is no justice in it, nor, all
things considered, is there any advant,g
in it to either employer or employee. Il
there is, would like for those so eager tc
f enter into them TO show it. As to the jus.
tice in such arrangements rekcon the fac
that physicians fees at the customary rate
Of charging, are as low as can or ought tt
be afforded, will hardly be controverted.-
a From the very nature of things this is bOunC
TO be the case. Competition will never lie
anything keep above it, real value, but gen
, orally brings it below, and in all conscience
there is enough ofthat in the medical pro
n fession. Ifthis be true, then, where is th
n justice in these special arrangements, NOR
o especially these yearly contracts, for b.
e them one party or the other stands a yer,
il good chance to get something for nothing
d To illustrate-ifa a physician agrees to do
: mans practice for fifty dollars by the yea
and that man has no occasion 70 call on hin
r during that time, that physician gets the fift,
i dollars without making an equivalent for ii
!. and on the contrary if the physician render
!, hundred dollars worth of service his EN-
+ ployer gets fifty dollars from him. 1t is real
n ly species of gambling, and is wrong 70
the identical reason that card playing, bet
II tirg on horse racing, elections, &c., is wrong
q There is no harm in mems seating them
e selves at table and shufflng, cutting, deal
Il ing and playing cards not particle. Blu
if money or any other species of property
n staked and the winner takes it he gets tn
n property of another without making him a
equivalent in value. There lies the injus
% tce and is what constitutes the the crime
20 and defy any one to show that so far a
,r right and wrong are concerned these cas-
!. are not identical.
le As to the advantage, in other respect
/ that such arrangement may be to the partie
J. concerned shall say but little, for this al
ID ticle is already long enough. Such arrang'
ir ments are generally entered into by the en-
if ployer without much regard to the skill ar
al qualifications of the physician. The almigl
III ty dollar, alone, glitters before his eyes,
to But in this how greatly is he deceived. Son
rr physicians are far cheaper at one hundrc
st dcllars a visit than others are at one. A
es know that 1t is cheaper, in the end, to il
at vest money, for example, in articles Of clotl
is ing of good fabric the price Of which seen
e. high, than to invest the same amount in a
ne ticles of inferior quality. Just so with ph.
I'd sicians. 1t would certainly be cheaper
nd pay ten dollars a visit to one who wou
a. make one visit and cure the case, than
n pay the same amount 10 one who would ha'
10, to make ten visits to do the same, leavil