Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-10-30
Dissecting a Doctors Bill.

cob Milchman's wife in Detroit
was somewhatill, and thought
a doctor ought to be semitic her;
so he called at a Detroit street
office and requested the physi-
clan to go out to his house. The
call was made, a prescription
left with Mrs. NJ, and either
the medicine was very efectual
or Mrs. NJ. was not very sick,
for when he called the next day,
she informed him that she was
all cured, and he need not come
any more. Last Monday, Ja-
cob received by mail a bill from
DR.. T., "Due for medical scrvi-
ces, $13,75."
Jacob studied a long time
over that bill, and showed it to
his wife, and studied over it
with her; but the more he looked
at it, and thought about it, the
more it seemed to him that there
must be a mistake. The next
morning, he called at the doc
tors Office, bill in hand, and
found the proprietor sitting
there, waiting to hear of some
one suffering from green corn,
or one of the other prevalent
diseases.
Mr.. Milchman laid his hat
down carefully, handed the bill
to DR.. T., saying: You was
DR.. T., l suppose?''
"Yes,yes, certainly, Mr.. Mich
man, sit down. How is your
wife?"
30 my wife is all right; she
is all right. You doctored her,
eh?"
u gave her some medicine
that seemed to work likemagic. "
"Yes, so it did. That was
your bill, eh?"
"Yes, but no hurry about it,
Mr.. Milchman; take a little
time on it, if you want to; no
hurry"
That was right, was it
$13.75?"
Let me see; yes, that is the
amount, Mr.. Milchman; but
no hurry about it, you know"
Thirteen dollars and seventy
five cents for one visit! That |
was pretty tam dear, don't you
think so?" |
Here the doctor smiles all.
over in the most for9iving way,
saying: My dear Mr.. Mich
man, you are far out Of the way. |
For one visit? My dear sir,
that is the way with the unpro-
fessional mind. l assure you
when you see the items you will
agree with me that the amount
is low, sir, very low"
"O," said Jacob, "there was
items, was there; vel, where those
items are?"
sin my memorandum book,
sir. You shall have them, cer-
tainly, if you wish. You want
the items, do you" |
"That was yust what | want"
said Jacob, and apparently much
to the doctors annoyance. He
hesita ted a moment and then
drew a small memorandum
book from his breast-pocket,
opened it, looked at Jacob, and
began;-
"'May 15.-Use of horse and
buggy to call on Mrs. Mich
man, one dollar and half"
"Stop 6 little" said Jacob,
"tiIl l write him down." and he
proceeded to write the item
down. Don't you got no
horse?". he asked, when he had
finished his writing.
"Ye-es," said the doctor, un-
wilIinoly: "but Of course | have
to charge for use, the same as if
he was hired horse; don't you
see?"
80 yes, he was your horse,
but you charge yourself for
him?"
Yes, that is it. Now for
item No. 2. To looking at the
tongue Of Mrs. NJ, fifty cents"
go you look at my wife's
tongue, eh?"
Certainly, I had to, you
know. Item No. 3. To feel
ing pulse Of Mrs. NJ, sixty
cents"
"Dat was cheap enough!"
Il knew you would think so"
exclaimed the doctor, now sat
isfied that he was all right. Item
No. 1. To hearing Mrs. Ms
report of her case, one dollar"
"Mine Gott. You charge me
for my wife's talking?"