The Dickinson press., 1888-06-16
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
LEAST PROFITABLE OF ANY From
A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT.
\ Comfortable Living is About All the
Average Physician Can Expect The
DjS1,oneSfy.

\ Comfortable Living Is About All the
Doctors Bill ,he Last To lie Paid
Dishonesty.
ne m.rii'.al profession is, taken as II whole
t''i; least i,l',ii;a able ot any in Il monetary
!t' int "f View. For a person who seeks
riches. II Is really the last one to enter. 1t
is trne some hav. grown wealthy in the
legitimate practice of medicine, but such are
Very rare exceptions. and not one in a thou
sand is so fortunate. Really, u comfortable
iiNinS Is about all the average physician can
expect; and before he ,.an attain that he must
meet nanv la,r'Ship> and know mach self
denial. If i~orl. wuu,i only consider the
suns which liz. mus, invest first before he
IAN attain his degrees. and after that ht.-
for. In. can ''paN his way" the loss ot wages,
il ~ We may speak, for the wears devoted to
SiutN aud waiting for a competency. they
w"lid realize tlln, comparatively few hu>-
NESS men have much invested III their
''>,'"k in trade as the doctor. They would
Ihrn I've less ready to deny him u fair com
pcnsution for his luborS
THE LAST BILL PAID.
Not only are the incomes of physicians. as
Il rIiie smaller than those of men Vi other
professions. notably the legal and minis
tcriai, but even the sums which they receive
are gludgingly yielded. 1t is notorious that
the last bill tn he paid is tn" DOCTORS Trades
mems claims are always preferred If it
happens tha, the services of an undertaken
have been employed, he. too, i, among the
first creditors to le paid. If anything is
left. and there is no prospect nf It's bein;,
needed for any other purpose, why then the
doctors hill is considered. But ii would be-
violating old customs We're it to be paid in
full. y complete settlement in nine cases
out nj ten is only effected after he has de.
Quoted large per cent of what is due him
Even tho most honest of patients seem to
have little M no c"mpunction about asking
him f"r discounts, even when they we'll know
that the physicians; hill rendered is not only
just. hut reasonable. ''Te doctor makes
his money easily says the average patient,
and full nj that belief lie adj,lSts his sense of
right and equity and drives sharp bargain
ii he can.
II Is safe I" say that but few physicians in
general practice manage to collect more than
hall of their bills 1t is certainly not pleas
ant I" contemplate that large share Of our
people ara dishonest. and swindle their phv-
Siciaii> And Yet such is actually the case.
III - Wt'tIul Ill there Is any class OF men i'll
business who would lie content to receive
such treatment. Why in the name of all
that is right and proper should physicians lc
Obliged t" pu, mp with itf Probably they
themselves are in Il measure accountable for
1t. Were they more eXacting, and. making
thu practice of medicine IL trade. insisted
ur"n 1b" full and immediate pnvmc.t for
tii"r services when rendered. their patients
would ii. time learn to bc honest. Very few
doctors would care to take such a course if
they could. and yet it is an open question il
all concerned would not he better in the end
for ii. We say that they cannot always be
So rigid. ii they would. No physician can
act on such lines in the facenf al unfortunate
whose suiferngs he eau relieve. or whoSt. life
lie can save. even if lie knows full we'll tia,
ut til" nearest gros shop will lie worse than
wasted the sum he ought to have received,
and "hirl, lie has richly earned Patients
have learned the principles which direct phv-
Sici.lis aud the promptness which sway
them, aud many are not slow to take mean
advantage.