The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-04-05
NEW YORK PHYSICIANS.
Their Numbers and Rates Of Charge
The Rich Men Of the Profession.
rccrresuopdence of the Troy Daily Times

correspondence of the Troy Daily Tilnes.l
There are about fifteen hundred physiciansi in
| this CITY, Brooklyn, and the Immediate vicinity,
being about one to every thousand Inhabitants:
This enumeration, however, applies 10 the
creased bysthe eclectic, the botanic, the ho-
meopathic, and other coordinate branches
which contend tor the patronage ofthe public.
or the faculty in this city, the larger part
strugqle'hard for q mere support, and many
are driven into other emptOyments from The
sheer imposSibllity of-living 10y the profession.
There are about sixty OF thisc class now In this
city engaged In other employments. The
found in other walks In life-that is, only a few
reach The highest point. There are about fifty,
who make from Sc, 600 to $l5. 900 per year, and
oue.tenlh of his plumber reaches as high as
SOS. 900. DR.. Parker standing among the upper
most. He is q frst-class surgeon OF advanced
years, and probably Is near seventy. he has
enjoyed the best practice in this city for
twenty-five years, and ought to be worth
$500, 600.
The regular fee for visits varies from 81 to
$40, but when the physician Is called out at
night one half more is added. Special rates
are made for going ou5 OF town, and a first
class physician will charge from 800 to $500
for a trip which requiresi two days from the,
time.o of leaving his office. Some time ago a.
rich young New Yorker, while rustcating near
Cooperstown, receiyedFa severe injury, and
TRIP was $1,000. Another instance Of liberal
charge was that OF a popular physician who WIS
called to attend q capitalist on what was sup
posed to bs his dying bed. He was successful
In his. method OF treatment, and when The
patient was restored, which took place In o.
few weeks; the bill was $1,000. This may
seem largeto some Of our readers, but it was
ossc.aol hu Pho .noftanf Uhn mt univ
paid it, but sent the successful physician a
present OF silver plate costing $500. Against
these lucky hits must be SET of the large
amount or service which Is never paid tor,
Doctors bills are proverbially hard to collect,
and manr- people piaah thin along ieiin Ln0Se
Items whose settlement Is indefinitely posi-
nOned. Good men will of course reu1ember the
Kindly vislls of professional skill, and will be
,lad to make that partial recompense which
money affords; but the majority shuttle On s1ch
services. and pay the physician with indi1er-
ence and even with contempt. l lately met
an instance Of this kind. which was as follows:
A frstolss physician attended q family living
In fine style, and after.a long series OF lmpor-
tant services he sent a bill OF very moderate
amount. AS soon as the master of the family
had glanced over It he tore It to fragments.
remarkilg In O cOntemptuous tone, "Thats
settled which indeed proved TO be tho case.
Asa general thing, few even Of our FIRST
class physicians get rich, and the. only one
who rose to great wealth out Of the whole pro-
ression, looking over O range of forty years,
was the late Valentine Mott, so fanousas astr-
geon. He had the cream OF the surgical prac.
tice In this city, and could charge just what he
pleased. know an Instance OF a young Wo-
man who had q small tumor beneath the skin
OF the neck. She consulted DR. Mott; and at
lust her husband, who was In limited circum-
stances. employed him TO remove 1t. me sur
geon called on The appointed day and spent o
halt hour in the house. The operation was q
successful one, and was done In Three minutes.
On asking tor the bill the husband was aston
ished ut its amount, which was $3.50. II such
be the charge to people ip mQ6erate circun.
stances, what would IL have been TO the rich!
In the last illness of Washington Irving he
Employed DR.. Peters Of this city, who OCCASION
ally visited him at Sunnyside, aud his charge
was $1,000, which was considered moderate.
Our New York physicians are by no means
equal TO those OF London in The matter OF
charges, and the latter have furnished theh'gll-
est instance of this kind. This occurred lndle
practice of the famous surgeon, Sir Ashley
Cooper. A jamaica planter OF enormous
wealth had come 10 London to submit to an
operation OH whose SUCCESS his life depended,
and Sir Ashley, who stood at the head OF the
profession, was employed. Having operated
successfully, The fortunate surgeon was re-
warded by 4 fee of sl2, 600, which Is, as has
been said, the largest ON record.