The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-05-03
N. y. Correspondence oftLe Troy Daily Times.
New York Physicians.
THEIR NUMBERS AND RATES OF
CHAR0E--TUE RICH MEN OF TIE
PROFESSION.

! THEIR NUMBERS AND RATES OF
CuARuE-TuE RICH MEN OF THE
| PROFESSION.
There are about fifteen hundred
physicians in this city, Brooklyn,
and the Immediate vicinity, being
about ono to cvcry thousand in-
habitants. Tho enumeration, how
cvor, applies to tho regular pro-
fcssion, aud it can bo largely in
creased by the eclectic, the botan-
ic, the homeopathic, and other
! coordinate branches which con-
tend for the patronage Of the pub.
lie. OF tho faculty in this city,
the larger part struggle hard for
Il nero support, aud many arc
driven into other omploymcnts
from tho sheer impossibility Of
living by tho profession. There
; arc about sixty Of this class now
, in this city engaged in other en-
ploymcnts. The chances Of sue
cess arc much tho same rs thoso
found in other walks in litu-that
is, only Il few reach the highest
| point. There arc about fifty who
make from $4,000 to $4,000 per
year, and onc-tcnth Of this mum.
bcr reaches AZ high as S25, 900,
DR.. Parker standing among the
uppcrmost. He Is first. class
surgeon Of advanced years, and
probably is near seventy. lie has
enjoyed the best practice in this
city for twenty five years, and
ought to be worth 100000.
The regular fee for visits varies
from 81 to $40, but when the ply
sician is called out at night one
half more is added Special rates
are made for going out Of town,
and tirst-cIass physician will
will charge from;$l00 to $500 for
Il trip which requires two days
from the time Of leaving his office.
Some time ago rich young Now
Yorker, while ruSticating near
Coopcrtown, received q severe in
jury, and telcgraphed for DR.. Par
llcr, whose bill for tho trip was
$1,000. Another instance Of lib
eral charge was that ola popular
physician who was called to at
tend II capitalist on what was sup
posed to be his dying bed. Ilc
was successful in his method Of
treatment, and when the patient
was restored, which took place in
Il few weeks, the bill was $1,000.
This may seem large TO somo of
our readers, but it was not so re-
gardcd by tho patient, who not
only paid it, but sent tho success,
ful physician a present Of silver
plato costing $500. Against these
lucky hits must be soL off the
large amount Of service which IS
never paid for.
| Doctors bills are provcrbially
! hard to collect, and many people
place them along with those items
whose settlement is indefinitely
postponed. Good men will OF
course remember the kiAdly Wis.
it's Of professional skill, and will
bo glad to make that partial &c.
compcnsc which money affords ;
but tho majority shuttle Of such
services, and pay the physician
with Indifference and even with
contempt. | lately met an in
stance Of this kind, which was as
follows:
A first. class physician attended
Il family living in tinc stYlr. and
after long series Of important
services he sent bill Of very
moderate amount. AS soon as
the mastcr Of tho family had
glanced over it he tore it to frag-
mcnts, rcmarlling in contompt,
uous tone. "That's settled" which
indeed proved to be the case.
AS general thing, few even of
our first.class physicians get rich,
and tho only ono who roso TO
great wealth out Of the profession,
looking over range Of forty
years, was the late Valentine
Mott, so famous as q surgcon.---
IIe had the cream Of the surgical
practice in this city, and could
charge just what he pleased. !
know an instance Ola young wo.
man who had Il small tumor bcDcath
tho skin Of tho neck. Sho con
suited DR.. Mott and nt last her
husband, who Was in limited cir
cumstanccs, employed him to re-
move it. The surgeon called on
tho appointed day and spent Il
half hour in the house. Tho op-
Grafton was successful one, and
was dono in three minutes. On
asking for the bill the husband
was astonishcd at it's amount,
which was $3.50. If such be the
charge to people in moderate cir
cnmstanccs, what would it have
been to the rich ? lii the last ill.,
ness of Washington Irving he en-
pIoycd DR.. Peters Of this city,
who occasionally visited him at
Sunnyside, and his charge wac
$1,000, which was considered mod
crate.
Our New York. physicians arc
by no means equal TO those Of