The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-04-14
A NOVEL IDEA.
Tho Commercial Value OF Health aud
WlInt lIRy he Done to Secure IL.

Tho Commercial Value OF Health aud
WIInt May be Done to Secure Ii.
Very few people can afford to be sick.
The rich man may not mind the expense,
the man in moderate circumstances ciul
neither afford the time nor the expense,
and the poor man has no right to be sick,
for his sickness must be prevented or
cured Mt tho expense OF society. The
very rich and the very poor patronize
the doctor at the slightest symptoms of
illness the one can pay tho bills, the
other goes to the free dispensary. The
man in moderate circumstances avoids
the doctor rs long MS possible, and per-
nits harmless attacks 0f illness to grow
to formidable disease, and often calls in
help when it is too late. In every thoh-
sand men and women there is always Il
certain number who nrc sick. This pro-
portion varies in different places and
seasons, but it is known factor in tho
health of cities. 1t may, for conveni-
ence, be recboned OF, say, twenty-five in
the thousand. This sick rate being
known, it is easy to reckon the COM
mercial value OF health, and this being
ascertained, it is possible to decide the
aetual money cost OF maintaining health.
Suppose, says the New York Times,
one thousand men and women in one
peighborhood paid, each, ten centsa week
10 fund. In year they would have
fund Of $500. Suppose they paid
1000 to good physician for his ser
vices, on demand, for year. A good
medical man could easily undertake 10
maintain tile thousand people in good
health, rs far as nature would permit,
and would still have left 81, 200 10 pay
for collecting the money. The doctor
would hardly DO expected to collect the
money, and collector, TO cali each week
or month in advance, would he needed.
This would only amount to $500 yenr
for each one, and would cntitle each one
to medical attendance for tue ycar with
out extra charge. By such IN arrange
ment the patients would be sure of help
III need ; they would caIl tho doctor at
tho very first approach OF illness, and
much sickness would thus be avoided.
Everything depends on the first attack
in disease the first hour is worth
more than the second week, and the doc
tor who is called promptly ia generally
the most successful. II the doctor feit
secure in good income !; if he had his
patients il hand at MI times, he could
do himself moro justice, and sure his
patients much trouble, delay aud pain.
A young doctor puts ont his sign mud
waits weary years for dGcently good in-
come. His patients often have the Mt
most difficulty in paying his bills. And,
with all this, by proper association, they
could get good medical attendance iron.
Il man jealous and cnSer to keep them
well for only II few dollars IL wear in al-
vance, and The doctor wouli be save.l
the worrying care and heart-sickeniuE
deternent oi.hope TINT are his usual ey-
perience III early medical life. The only
wonder is TINT some active and honest
man does not undertake to collect ten or
fifteen cents week from thousand or
more people and provide them with
tirst-class physician. An ablo medical
man corll readily undertake the euro Of
fifteen hundred patients, il he was pro.
vidcd with generous and fixed income.
The collector, picking up fifteen cents
week, iii weekly or monthly payments,
would easily pay physician $1,000 or
$1,000 year for his whole time, could
guarantee to his patients the best aLtcn-
ton on demand, and still havea little
something for himself. This idea is
neither new nor visionary. II is already
i'll active operation in scveml English
cities, under what is known rs tie Provi-
dent DispensNry system. 1t can be
madc to pay, aud might be of infinite
value, both to the patients and 10 the
medical profession.