Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-13
The Good Physician

and captious to find fault with ,physl-
cians, the most self-sacrifcing of al
professional men, that such facts as
follow here are pleasant to read. At
the funeral Of DR.. James Il Armsby,
in Albany, his pastor, the Rev. r. W.
Clark, D. D.. mentioned, among many
others, these Incidents:
Facts Illustrative Of his readiness
to render gratuitous services to the
poor, and Of his deep interest in cases
of suffering, where no pecuniary re-
ward could be expected, have been
flowing in upon US from every quarter.
And it should be SAID, in honor Of
the profession to which he belonged,
that he has multitude of rebel as
sociates, whose kindness and Lberality
are most conspicuous in these direc-
tions. Benevolence, self-sacrifce,
generally to the poor, are characters
tic Of the medical profession, a nd are
certainly most fully exempliGed by the
physicians Of Albany.
GA young woman, APPARENTLY Of linn
tied means came to Dr. Armsby's office
for treatment, and after being bene-
fted or restored to health, asked how
much she was to pay: With a smile,
the doctor replied, Nothing But,
said she, I would prefer to pay you
| for your services [ am not pauper.
Please name the amount. He said,
Twenty-Five cents. The blH of another,
! in whose case he took deep interest,
and whom he visited seven times, was
one dolar.
GA woman came to the hospital,
whose arm was SO badly crushed BY
machinery that in the opinion ofothcrs
it required amputation. Dr. Armsby,
after a cafetul examination, thought
that possibly the arm might be saved.
He treated it day after day, until it
was restored. My informant remarked
that from person Of ample means
fee of a thousand dollars would be
reasonable for the time and skill bestow-
ed SO successfully upon that. fractured
limb. Yet | am told that the services
were gratuitously rendered, and that
afterwards the doctor gave the woman
pecuniary assistance.
''The last professional call that he
made on the last day Of his life was
under these circumstances Two young
women who were dependent upon their
needle for support called at his office
and asked him if he could send some
one from the hospital 10 visit their
brother, who was suffering under a
severe malady. He put the name and
number upon his slate and turned to
attend to other duties that wers pres
sing upon him. Some hours after
wards he said to his son, showing that
amid his varid labors he had kept this
case in mind. I must hasten to see
that poor young man. He stepped
into his carriage and made the visit,
and expected and received nothing for
his services except the consciousness
that he had ministered to a poor and
suffering man.
"Yesterday young physician called
upon me to narrate the circumstances.
showing the deep interest that DR.,
Armsby took in him. to raise him from
poverty and obscurity to q comfortable
and honorable position in his profession.
Tears filed his eyes as he spoke OF the
doctors numerous acts of disinterested
kindness, and of his gratitude to him.
to whom, under God, he owed his all
for this life.
''Let me give one other instance
quite out of the range OF ordinary
facts A lady Of wealth had called
the doctor to preform very difficult
operation, one that required the great
| est care and skill. A reasonable fee
for such service for person in afllu
ent circumstances, [ am Informed,
would be about $3.50. The doctor
said to the lady, IF You are willing
to have this operation performed be-
fore my students, that they may have
the benefit Of it in their own practice,
[ will charge you nothing, She con-
sented and the plan was carried out.
How easy and how perfectly honorable,
too, would it have been for him to
have privately performed the operation,
and taken the fee for his own use.
But no. the usefulness of his students
in the future was the object that filed
his eye.
"Need we wonder at the crowds of
weeping men and women that pressed
around the remains to lock for the last
time upon the placid face of their
benefactor ! Need We wondor that
more than an hour was consumed by
the stream of people passing before
the pulpit who were eager to obtain a
glimpse of him. One person after
wards remarked to me, that had the
casket been kept open until nine clock
the next morning, he believed it would
not have more than suficed to meet
I tho rUiaboa &c tba -onorlo -