The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-06-07
Pnuper Doctor RiIls.


worth, for o term of years.
CARLOS NOGGs
Pauper Doctor Bills.
Mr.. EDIroR:-As the blood-curdng dignity of tho
medical fraternity will not allow them to notice
SANDER injustice, proceeding from the secular
press the vulgar herd, trust you will excuse me-
an outsider, saying few words in their defence /;
particularly the matter in question touches them
in vital part-the digestive organs.
As to "how people should choose DOCTOR we leave
that subject to learned FRIEND Drs Channel and
King. more important point is-how they are to
get their pay
1t really seems to be tho fashion, lately in this un
blest portion of the medical vineyard to keep up o
longtrawn and exceedingly mournful howl over doc
tors charges. The aty side of this subject has been
thoroughly ventilated. Now, 1--WE arise to EXPLAIN
and commence by requesting the reader to observe
that the physicians of the country fail to present any
signs of very highfeeding. Indeed such bloodless
and eadayerous set they, that any of them could
sit for the portrait of Romeos apotheeary With dis
tinguished success. Neither detect any symp-
toms Of rapidly accumulatius wealth. On the con-
trary, as a class, they are the poorest men in the
country. As anexample: Let merchant catch sight
of one, entering the store! In second, his jaw
drops! The sweat stands upon his pallid brow; and
he is in agony, for fear Bolus may ask credit for
six yards of sevencent Calico for Sunday SUITE for
Mrs. Doctor B.. Indeed there is not physician
in the County making anything more than very
meagre living. The medical man who has accumu-
lated property from the practice of his profession
alone, is a rara aris-a nearly unknown phenomenon.
For the time SPENT the capital invested and the wea
rsome responsibility assumed, his pay is really beg
carly! Please consider the facts:
years student of medicine at an expense of from
81 500 to 5000 At the end Of this period he settles
in a country town. He must keep team, pay office
rent, buy books journals and instruments and bust
no business he must always be on hand. Com
pare with other professions and trades The priest
considered worthy of his hire he has be-
talented in prayer, has learned the simple
Beecheran trick Of sniyelling with eye and wink
ing at Betsy Jane with the other.
Again: Ketchem buys borrows, steals few
books studies at odd times, when not otherwise
gagged from six months to a yoar and then, after
measuring the liquid capacities of the LEARNED"
mttoe appointed by the Learned" Judge to examine
him, and listening to a smutty yarn two, he is hi
lariously admitted to the bar, with 'aH its honors
He is now Attorney at Law and qualified to
charge s. for consultation Of ten minutes; 80 to
so for Justice of the Peace case, 30 to $500 for u
Circuit Court case while, if the victim is allowed the
distinguished honor of q in the Supreme Court,
our learned professional brother invariably seizcs his
pilel
do not wish to ridcule the method of manufactur-
ing lawyers in this country suppose the best law
school is its practice; but l wish merely to show how
much more arduous is the study of medicine. Be-
sides the lawyer choose his patron, enforce
payment he goes although charging from two to
ten times much the doctor for his services
There is no howl raised over this. Whyi Are few
dollars revenge, much more precious than the
health of wife chiidi 1t is notorious fact that
many men, the moment they discover their horse,
hog sick, hasten for help, regaress of expense
but the same will allow his hapess wife or little
suffering child to lay days and weeks to avoid paying
few dollars doctors bill Medicine il mo good" for
the human ANIMAL but must be had at once for the
saleable dumb brute
1t is nothing unusual to hear mechanic boast of
making from $40 to Us day. The blacksmith often
earns s25 day. The carpenter, timer, etc, frequent
ly earn big wages. The farmer gets from $lo to $50
for days plowing and seeding. He will invest 800
in threshng machine, sud expect to earn from &c
to 20 day. And 1t socs, through the whole cata
logue of employments And the pay is sure, for la
Dor done. Consider the doctor. Dragged out at
times when no other man will stick his nose out of
DOORS in darkness, mud, rain, and cold. burthening
his mind and heart with the responsibility Of others
woes forever in the sight of pain misery, and DEATH
forever facing what all other sedulousy shun;
exposed to contagon, and all of loathsome dis
eases performing duties that money neither buy
pay for yet the miserable pittance of so is
sidered enormous pay!
But this is not the worst Of it. There Is probably
not physician in the County who does not lose from
Is to 50 per cent. of his book accounts-thanks in
part to those fair and equitable exemption laws con-
rooted by innocent and unsophiscated rural gentle
men, or-chronic bankrupts and confidence men 1t
matters not how well known dead-beat q man may /
be- if his family are sick the doctor must 20. If he
refuses he is execrated as heartless and sortlid
wretch. A fellow who would never dream of asking
redt of any else goes with perfect confidence to
he doctor. Why is this Simply bccause-unortho-
iox most of them arethe physician is the noblest
specimen of true Christian, in its best aeceptation,
IN earth! Constantly in the presence Of the dark
ids of life, he becomes the most sympathetic, the
charitable the most forg, .ns Of human beings
he is the High Priest of charity. The most penness
physician in Donphan County gives moro, in charity,
han the richest man in it He docs more for Gods
axe than all the priests in the County put together
Who but o physician-his deeds unpraiscd and un-
ung-on his deathbed after forty years Of success
nj practice, could truthfnlly declare that he had
,ever turned deaf to the cry Of distressed pow
rty; that he had never distinguished between the
ich and poori Yet such physicians are mot rare,
wen in this graspng generation Strange as 1t may
eem, doctors can't live on good will, mixed, even
rith generous supply Of atmospheric nutriment,
llthough our estimable County Board seem firmly