The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-25
A NOVEL TDELf.
THE COMMERCIAL VALUE OF HEALTH AND
WHAT MAY BE DONE TO SECURE 1T.

Very few people can afford to be sick.
The rich mar may not mind the expense.
the man in moderate circumstances can
neither afford the time nor the expense,
and the poor man has no right TO be sick.
Tor his sickness must be prevented or cured
at the expense of society. The very rich
and the poor patronize the doctor at the
slightest symptoms Of Illness the one can
pay the bills, the oSher goes to the free
dlspensary. The man in moderate circum-
stances avoids the doctor as long as poSSi-
BILE, and permits harmless attacks OF i'll
ness TO grow to formidable disease and Of
ten calls in help when 1t is too late. In
every thousand men and women there is
| always certain number who are sick
| This proportion varies in different places
aud seasons, but it is a known fact in the
| health OF cities. 1t may, for convenience,
be reckoned at, say, twenty-five in the
thousand. This sick rate being known, it
is easy TO reckon the commercial value of
health, and this being ascertained, it is
possible TO decide the actual money cost of
maintaining health.
| Suppose, says the New York Times, one
{ thousand men and women in one neigh
borhood paid, each, ten cents week to a
! fund. In year they would have fund
OF 5000. suppose they paid 81, 900 to
! good physician for his services. on demand
I for year. y good medical man cou Id
/ easily undertake to maintain the Thousand
| people in good health, as far as nature
would permit, and would still have left
/ $1,000 TO pay for collecting the money.
! The doctor would hardly be expected TO
! collect the money, and collector, to call
/ each week or month in advance, would he
( needed. This would only amount 70 s.. 20
year for each one, and would entitie each
! one TO medical attendance for the year
! without extra charge. BY such all arrange
| ment the patients would be sure Of help in
/ need they would call the doctor at the
| very first approach of illness and much
! sickness would thus be avoided. Every
/ thing depends on the first attack in q is
! ease, the first hour is worth more than the
second week, and the doctor who is called
/ promptly Is generally the most successful.
| II the doctor felt seen re IN good income
! if he had his patients in hand at all times
! lie could do himself more Justice, aud save
! his patients much trouble, delay and pain.
/ y young doctor puts ont his sign aud
/ wnits weary years for dccently good in
/ come. His patients often have the utm oSt
difficulty in paving his b ills. And, with
! all this, by proper association, they could
| get good medicaI attendance from a man
! jealous and eager to keep them well FOR
! only few dollars a year in advance, and
/ the doctor would be saved the worrying
care ana heait-slcke1lng dcicrmcnt Of hope
/ that are Il lis usual experience in early med
/ ical life. The only wonder is that some
/ active and honest man does not undertake
I to collect ten or fifteen cents a week from
/ a thousand or more people aud provide
/ them with tirst-class physician. An able
medical man could readily undertake the
/ care of fifteen hundred patients, if he was
/ provided with a generous and fixed income.
! The collector. picking mp fifteen cents a
/ week, in weekly ori monthly payments,
could easily pay a physician $1,000 oi
! 5000 year for his whole time, could
! guarantee 20 his patients the best attention
on demand, and still have a little some
! thing for himself. This idea is neither
new nor visionary. II is already in active
operation in several English cities. under
! what is know as the Prov ident Dispensary
! system. 1t can be made to pay, and might
/ be of infinite value, beth to the patients
and TO the medical profession.