Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-08-18
Space. VI. m 3 m. m. IF
The Presidents Doctors Bill,

The Presidents DOCTORS bill must be very
largo one. His four attending physicisns have
Tor forty Two days given their whole time to
hin-at least SO il is assumed Tho practice
Of au enlncn! pby.ician-end these four gen.
tiemsn sro all eminent physioians-is perhaps
not always worth SlO0 day, although thsre
are physicians or surgeons whose fees average
that sun. Ibtrs are physicians in London
VITO see every morning from twenty to tblrty
patl5nt5. who csll upon them at their oWo Of
tc!S, aud who esch pay one guinea for their
EXAMINATION, adVlcs and precrlptop. The 10.
cone OF these physicians is therefore from $lOO
10 Sl50s dag. exclusive OF the fees they reoslve
Tor calls made upon patients at their Own resi-.
denc.s. and consultations. But, Of course,
these arc men at the very top of the tree: and
our Presidents physicians. although they
should be at the top of the tree also are proba-
by not accustomed TO receive fees aggre-
eating 500 dOy or $50 500 yesr As tor
tie charges to be made by Drs. AeneW
AID Hamilton for the operations performed
by the first, aud fer the visits and consul
tstions of both that is different matter.
We have beard Of IS 600 beiog paid for sln-
gle surgical operation in this o1uotrJ; when the
paiebt is roh aud the operation is one rtquir.
lUg great skill and Knowledge, fees of $1,000
gre not uDconnon. President G.lfad is not
rich. Dor wero the operations, as reported. at
least. Of great difficulty. But probably the
emloeu. dcc:ogs attendiog the Presld 5nt do not
look unnn hial AZ private person, but as the
Presldact. aad eusge their charges uccordipgly,
expecting the government to pay, as it probably
Will do aud ehould do.
The eminent English surgeon, Sir James
Thompson. who performed the last operation
upoo the Emperor Napoleon the day before
hss death, is said to have reoeivcd check for
thousand guioeas ($5 000l and Sir William
Gull aad the other physician 10 st.endsuce
we're understood to have also received magni6-
cent toes. Bot it was at the same time stated
'hst they ell returned their checks to Nj. Pletrl,
the emperor private secretary, 10 )int letter,
Begging him 10 assure tho empress that the
honor of attending the lu5rious patient was
more lhsn sufficient reward for their uahap-
ply ura7ailiog attempt to save his lif..
Sir William Gull, who was the chief of the
physciaLs at Ssndriugham durirg tho illness
OF the Prince of Wales, is said to have charged
very rouud!y for his services. and to have been
paid accordingly. and Sir Wiism Jenner. who
is oue OF the queen q favorite pbyscisus, is ua
dorssood to have elwsys baen very highly paid
By her mt j.sty. But aay one 10 London who
WISHES 10 haVo tee Do1or or receiving call
from Sir William Jenner. who will come ia his
hao yellrw coacn, With his footmap and coach
nnn 10 livery, can do 80 at the very moderate
cost OF swc galnees, which ho must wrap up iu
Il nest little pRcket-two sovcr, isns and two
Shiin2s-aud cause to be deposited in a c,u.
veuent place CD tie table 1esr Sir Williams
hat sud gloves
TIE truth is, the matter of physicians fees is
generally a very elastic one. The most of them,
We beisvs, graduate their ecaso Of charges ty
the wealth OF the patient. their s:aliou iu
socisy. ald the difficulty of the csso That
mRuv of them-even tho most eminent aud
ekfal. s0d perhaps most generally tho most
emiDsns aud skiliiul-io great dsal fer moth
ing. is tru;; aud that thoy tquaiz, things by
making the rioa pay for the poor is also prob.
| ably tfu,. We havo 60 means OF knowing what
The Presidents phys Clans mean to charge;
probably they have not considered that sub
jacs themselves. As DR.. Bsrnes is surgeon
general Of the army. erd as Mr.. Garfield is
Commanded in Chief of that small but es,im
able force. be may regard himself as attending
the Pres.deot iu his tfIicisl capacity, and not
ec.iled TO charge snythiog. AS for the others
Eo presume they will not press Mrs. Garfield
| Dor their patient for their fees 1t is probable
that Congress will look after ths. matter at its
approaching session and SEQ that everything is
made rightly Y Graphic.
D.