The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-21

A Novel Association Ill 's
= -. a. Drugs and Medical Attenoance
NE I+s Men bsrsby the Month at SmelI
Cost.
49,. vopv July GA curious novelty
h,,.;nsss enterprise is being conspiclousiy
y ,-a-+isad about town. It is an "assocls-
s .n - furnish medical attendance and
5-,,ox 70 its members at bedrock" prices
u 3, below. For 40 cents per month
- association guarantees competent nedl-
- tendance. And this medical com
80 r,rofesses to have arrangements made
:. -,od reliable drug-stores, in all parts OF
I'm. BY which prescriptions will be niled
uniform cost Of 20 cents each, no mat
- 7rbat ingredients they may contain, ior
-. sssoeistion's members. wen, IL Is Oy
~ ~ MEANS IMPROBABLE that az that price pre-
I.-;r,tiors taking them as they run, "ouId
sti nav a large proht 10 the PnaI-
81 whose ordinary percent-
~ nrodt is from 800 TO oOO
aso cont There are, of course, some few
s paI Cbsrnicals and costly drugs that could
70, he MAIDS I'D in appreciate quantities at
4 -, s,,cb figure, but they are very little re-
a-,3rsd and doubtless it is understood that
q " sseocation's physicians shall not call
W. thero or if they do, that they shall
4 srriks a good general average by turning III
a - ~ TraScrIptions that viii not cost over
& 9 oay,t zach to fill. Latin is a fine cloak for
srcb Games. But ali this Is OF course mere
r1acpIstjon. The SC neme of the concern
,psv he honest enough and its practice may
have no uerceDtible effect IN Increasing the
n Ills Of mortality. Surely some device Is
wanted ~ i'll il between the cnerlty OF tne
5disransaries and the robbery of fashionable
raa3icsi practice. by which people Of mod
( srate means can have and pay Tor medical
S ! tendance when they are SICK.
Some Hebrew societies have rather in
spenious system for getting { cir doctors
bills down to a minimum. They contract
nyith & physician, by the year, to attend all
cases of illness among members and their
FAMILIES for certain stipulated sum, which
6snsid whether anybody peeds a doctor
El1rin1 the year or not. OF course, in a
/ E,cklv season the physician might feel that
ttey were rather getting the best of him,
tpt. after ali, he would only be called upon
h. SKID around a little more lively and be
more anxious TO effect cures than if LIE
were charging By the visit.
Indeed tnls thing of charging by the
kisit for medical attendance Is the weak
Sad patients. 1t is to his interest 10 keep
Them SICK SIS long as possible. So clearly is
fhls recognized by many of our practial
1ong-leaded business men-who have money
Enough to enable them to Go as they please
<-thlt they now follow the example of the
Eebrew societies aud engage the services of
their physicians by the year, paying wheth-
b they aud theirs are sick or well. Ac-
eouchmen!s are "a a rule excepted from such
fougacts, as they are too good plums for
fanily doctors to let 60 into general ac-
eDuut The annual farms Of such contracts
fln all the way from $3.50 to $500 1t is
n excellent 81! angement for the doctor,
no with few such good contracts on his
bands can be easy about his income, and it
d good for the patients. rs 1t is clearly to
5le interest Of the physician too keep them
u well as possible to save himself trou-
He.
the next better thing is the Chinese sys-
Pm Of hiring the doctor by the year and
HOpping his salary whenever his patient is
e. 1t will be a sad day for druggists
% undertakers if that plan ever gets a
8othod in this country.
8 j. II. Connolly.