The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-03-19


amount OF the doctors bill, when
presented for payment. Most men
pay the amount without word, but
not so with Jacob Milchlnan, as our
story will show.
About three months ago Jacobs
wife was somewhat i'll, and thought
doctor ought to be sent to her, so
he called at a Detroit street office,
and requested the physician to 90
out to his house. The call was made,
a prescription left with Mrs. NJ, and
either the medicine was very effectu-
al, or Mrs. M. was not very sick, for
when he called the next day, she in
formed him she was all cured. and
he need not come any more. Last
Monday Jacob received by mail a
bill from DR.. H.: "Due for medical
services, $l3.75."
Jacob studied a long time over
that bill, and showed it to his wife,
and studied over it with her; but
tie more he looked at it, and thought
about it, the more it seemed to him
that there must be a mistake.
The next morning he called at the
doctors office, bill in hand, and
found the proprietor sitting there,
waiting to hear of some one suffering
from green corn, or one of the other
prevalent diseases.
MIR. Milchman laid his hat down
carefully, handed the bill to DR.. H.,
saying:
you was DR.. L., I suppose?'
'Yes, yes, certainly, Mr.. Mich
man; sit down. How is your wife p
'Oh! my wife is all right; she is
all right. You doctored her, eh p
Il gave some medicine that seemed
to work like magic
yes, SO it did, so it did. That was
your bill, eh? p
yes, but no hurry about it, Mr..
Milchman; take little time on it, if
you want to; no hurry
That was all right, was it-$l3.7 1872
Let me see; yes, that is the
amount, Mr.. Milchman but no hurry
about paying it, you know
'$l3.75 for one visit That was
pretty tam dear, don't you think SO p
Here the doctor smiled all over in
the most forgiving way, saying:
MY dear Mr.. Milchman, you ars
far out of the way. For one visit !?
My dear sir, that is the way with the
unprofessional mind. [ assure you
when you see the items you will
agree with me, that the amount is
low, verv low
'Oh' said Jacob there was items
was there; we'll where those items
are p
In my memorandum book sir.
You shall have them certainly, if
you wish. You want the items do
you?'
THAT was yust what I want, said
Jacob, and apparently much to the
doctors annoyance. He hesitated a
moment and then drew small mem.
orandum book from his breast pock-
ct, opened it, looked at Jacob, and
began.
May Is. Use of horse and buggy
to call on Mrs. Milchman, one dollar
and half
Stop little,' said Jacob, till
write him down. and 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, unwilling
ly; 'but of course, l have to charge
for use, the same as if he was a hired
horse don't you see p
90, yes, he was your horse, but you
charge yourself for him p
'Yes, that's it Now item No. 2.
TO looking at the tongue Of Mrs. NJ.
fifty cents
'Oh' you looked at my wife's
tongue, eh ?
Certainly, l had to, you know.
Item No. 3. 'To feeling pulse of Mrs.
M. sixty cents
Dat was cheap enough!'
Il knew you would think So ex.
claimed the doctor, now satisfied that
he was all right. Item No. 4 'To
hearing Mrs. Ms report of her case,
one dollar
mime Gott! You charge me for
my wife's taIking?'
Only what she said in profes.
sional way, l assure you. That item
you will find correct; take the next.
To writing prescription of Mrs. M.
$780, That was where the heavy
work came in, you know
Pretty tam heavy! l think so
'Nery reasonable for the amount of
care l gave the subject, as you will
see when you think it over. Item
again. To calling the next day,
with copy of prescription book with
me, So co.
well, dat was all you got, ain,
it? You was told my wife was all
right, and that is only $500. Where
you make your $l3.75?'
you are mistaken about tha,
being all, Mr.. Milchman. No, sir, ]
could not let the matter drop there.
Pray allow me to proceed. To stu
dying over the case in my office,
$500
'Oh! you studied over him here !?
Certainly did. Next: To riding
around by your house, on my way
home, and looking attentively about
the premises, S1.OO: to meeting
child and asking how her mother
was, Sl.Oo; to making bill, postages
etc., 10 cents. There sir are all the
items, and very reasonable, too, upor
my honor
Now Jacob is in no sense of thu
word a profane man, nor quick tt
anger, but there was a very peculiar
light in his eyes as he rolled up the
paper, on which he had written dowr
the items. Then he turned to ths
door with tremendous oath: sYor
are one tanned hombook Yor
sharge me for your own horse, and
for my wite's talk! You sharge m,
for everythings! l was pretty tan
lucky dat you did'n sharge for more
My goodness ! what hombook.
will gif you seventy-cents and yol
write that bill all paid, or l will preaI
your het NIT pottle =
Jacob had reached fearful stat,
of anger, and passion, but was doing
his best to control himself. He drew
the seventy-tive cents out of his wal
let, and handed it to the doctor, to
gether with the bill that he wanted
receipted, but the doctor would no