The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-05-02

A Comfortable Living Is About All the
Average Physician Can Expect - The
Doctors Bill the last to He Paid
Dishonesty. -
The medical profession IL, taken. whole,
Z the least profitable Of any in monetary
point of view. For q person who seeks
riches, it is really the last one to enter. 1t
is true some have grown wealthy in the
legitimate practice of medicine, but such are
very rare exceptions, and not one in thou
sand is so fortunate Really, comfortable
living is about all the average physician can
expect, and before he can attain that he must
meet many hardships and know much self
denial. IL people would only consider the
sums which he must invest first before he
cen attain his degrees and after that be-
fore he can spay his way the loss of wages,
il so we may speak, for the years devoted to
study and waiting for a competency, they
would realize that comparatively few busi-
ness men have SO much invested in their
stock in trade as the doctor. They would
then be less ready to deny him a fair COM
pensation for his labors
THE LAsT BILL PAID.
Not only are the incomes of physicians, as
a rule smaller than those of men Of other
professions, notably the legal and minis
terial, but even the sums which they receive
are grudgingly yielded 1t is notorious TINT
the last bill to be paid is the doctors. Trades
mems claims arc always preferred II it
happens that the services of an undertaken
have been employed, he, too, is among the
first creditors TO DO paid. II anything Is
left, and there Is no prospect of its being
needed for any other purpose, why then the
doctors bill is considered. But it would be
violating old customs were it to be paid in
full A complete settlement in nine cases
out Of 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 or no conjunction about asking
him for discounts, even when they well know
that the physicians bill rendered is not only
just, but reasonable. 'Ihe doctor makes
his money easily says the average patient,
and full of that belief he adjusts his sense of
right and equity and drives sharp bargain
if he can.
1t is safe to say that but few physicians in
general practice manage to collect more than
half of their bills. 1t is certainly not pleas
ant to contemplate that large share of our
people are dishonest, and swindle their ply
sieians. And yet such is actually the case.
1t is doubtful IL there is any class OF men in
business who would be content to receive
such treatment Why in the name of all
that is right and proper should physicians be
obliged to put up with it, Probably they
themselves are in u measure accountable for
it. Were they moro oxacting, and, making
tho practice of medicine trade, insisted
upon tho full and immediate payment for
their services when rendered, their patients
i l..
doctors would care to take such a course if
they could, and yet it is an open question il
all concerned would not be better in the end
for it. We say that they cannot always be
so rigid, il they would. No physician can
act on such lines in the face Of an unfortunate
whose sufferings he can relieve, or whose life
he can save, even il he knows full well that
at the nearest grog shop will be worse than
wasted the slim he ought to have received,
any o.. x re has richly earned Eassents
have learned Che principles which direct ply
sicians, and the promptness which sway
them, and many are not slow to take a mean
advantage.
MAKING A CHANCE
Something after this fashion docs he suffer
from them. Very likely, when a stranger
and first called, the illness he treats is a
concv NJ "a successful in lis treatn,ant
and IL. eayeral months after 10 tho ,.a,.og'
Mod atte,dant ~ that family They th;,i,
nnch ~ him and e,,conraora ,,e;ohl,ors ond
friends to ,atronize him After = time lis
hin con,ea IN and ia met with some eyopsa
which ia readily accented AZ time goes ~,
md tha dabt remains ,nnaid his coIleetor 4
n,ore ,,ersistent Az last another attach ~
sicl,ness orcnrs IN the same family and N.
steod az SENDING, for the physician n wbon,
thew arc Indebted who did so vell on =
former occasion. and IN WHOSE nraise thew
hove boo. 20 1ond thev an,,,lav onotla,.