Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-09-23
Sick or Wei
Mr.. ] H Connolly. formerly of this city
nou,o of New York. writes:

Mr.. J H Connolly, formerly of this city,
now of New York, writes:
"a curious novelty in business enterprise
ia being rouspiciVusiy advertised about toWu
IL l.. M association to furnish medical at
tpudapce and drugs 10 its members at BED.
roch' prices AID sven below. For 40 cents
DER month the association guarantees com
petent medical attendance And this MID
lcal combine processes to have arrangements
10 ads at good reliable drug stores, in all
narts Of town, by VIII ch prescriptions will
bs filed at uniform cost of 90 cents each,
20 matter what ingredients they may con-
tain. for the associations members. Well,
it is by no means improbable that at that
price prescriptions, taking them as they
run, would still pay large profit to the
pharmacists, whose ordinary percentage OF
orofit is from 300to 500 per cent. There are
of course, some few rare chemicals and cost.
ly drugs that could not be made up In ap-
Ere ciabe quantities at any such hgure. but
they are Very little required, and doubtless
1t is understood that the associations ply
siciaus shall not Call for them, or
if thty do, that they shall strike good
general average by turning in lot OF
D resc. iptions that will not cost over
a cent each 10 fiji. Latin is fine CLOAK for
-uC0 Yd[nNS. Dub dIl buiS 10 vi OOut 90 luoi
speculation. The scheme of the concern
may he honest enough and liz practice may
have no perceptlble fleet In increasing the
bills of mortality. Surely some device is
wanted TO f ! in between The charity of he
dispensaries and the robbery Of fashionable
medical practice. by hlch people OF moder-
ate means can have and pay fJr medical a.
tendance when they ae sick. Some He
- hos, her DfOna
tenn for getting their doctors bills down to
minimum. They contract with physi-
clan, by the year, to attend all cases Of Il :
ness among members and their families for
a certain stipulated sum, which is paid
whether any body needs doctor during the
wear or not OF curse, in a sickly season
the physician might feel that they were
rather getting the best of him, but, after all i,
he would only be called upon to skip around
\ little more lively and b9 more anxious to
effect cures than it be were charging by the
visit. Iudeed, tn thing of charging by the
visit for medical attt tnCance is the weak
point in the relations between the doctor
and patients. IL is 10 his interest to keep
chem sick as long as possible. So clearly is
ahis recoguzsd by many of our practical
long headed business mep-who have money
enough to enable them to do as they please
that they now follow the example of the
Retrew societies and engage the services of
their physicians by the year. paying whether
they and theirs are sick or well. Accouch.
| ments are as rule excepted from such
contracts, as they are too good pumbs
| for family doctors to let go into general
account. The annual terms of such con.
tracts run all the way from $3.50 to 81 500.
It is an excellent arrangement for the doc
| tor, who with few such good contracts on
his hands can be easy about his income, and
it is good for the patients, as it is clearly to
the interest of the physician to keep them
| as well as possible to save himself trouble.
The next better thing Is tbe Chinese system
of hiring the doctor by the year and stop
ping his salary whenever his patient is sick.
1t will be sad day for druggists and under
takers it that plan ever gets foothold in
this county,"