Evening journal., 1889-06-08
MONEY IN nrAeps.
A Profession IN which Short and whis-
kerless Men Are Handicapped

A Profession in which short and whis-
keriess DIcn Are Handicapped.
"oh, for a shaggy, tawny beard and six
inches more Of staturew sighed diminutive
medical practitioner, as he paced along be-
side tall, portly, full bearded neighbor.
vainly endeavoring to regulate his strides to
those Of his towering companion. "Such
beard as yours would mean great money to
me- he continued, "and each of your sur
plus inches would be worth its weight in
gold. OH that the wind might blow through
my whiskersl" and the n. d. fell musing,
and meditatively stroked the scattering
brfstles that formed a scanty fringe about
his chubby chin.
He had practiced medicine for a dozen
years or more, and was, in the Judgment Of
his peers, a reliable and skillful physician.
He had won many prizes while a medical stu.
dent, and had received high encomiums from
old and wise heads But he was in appear
ance such a very youth that people were
afraid to trust their bodily ailments to his
hands, and as year after year dragged by
and his boyishness continued TO repel more
than his shingle attracted he yeained 10
adopt false beard, dye his hair gray or walk
on stills
"Does a beard actually increase doctors
usefulnessN he said, repeating his compan-
ions query. "Why, there is no such price
less jewel. When people summon physician
they don't want 10 place their life in boys
hands. They want a man of years aud evi-
dent experience, and their Judgment of these
things is most superficial. was once reused
in the dead Of night to attend a case of pneu-
monia, but was sent skurrying homeward
almost as soon as ! reached the patients
chamber, because as She expressed it, she had
thought ! was great big man with beard
| stepped out with dignity and "a great big
man with a beard stepped in. He didn't
know beans from beladonna, but that made
no difference. He had landed the good wo-
man in better world before the day was far
spent. There have been similar occurrences
in my office Persons step in to ask for Dr.
So-and-So, aud when / walk into tho room
twirling my boys mustache they suddenly
change their minds and decide that thetI'
health is excellent.
"Paucity Of inches or Of whis1ers does not
necessarily imply scantiness of brain There
are innumerable proofs of this, but the laity
is slow TO catch the idea. A young medical
graduate fresh from the lecture and dissect-
ing room, is apt to be much more careful of
his patients than an old practitioner who has
fallen into a rut and relegated his books to
the library's dusty shelves. And yet it is an
herculean task for even the cleverest young
medico to attract enough patronage for his
support. fair average weekly income for
the first year out of college is $40 or $50. The
man who makes $50 is doing remarkably
well, and is regarded among his oonfreres as
very CrRsus. Eight or ten years must pass
before a young doctor can acquire a decently
remunerative practice This period is short
ened if a man has whisl;ers as recommenda
tion, but it is miserably protracted if the
bristles refuse to grow. 1t is not only the
poor or ignorant who have this prejudice
against beardless youths. Among the wealthy
it is oftentimes much accentuated. IL they
employ young physician they must needs
call in a handful of differing doctors to make
assurance of cure doubly sure. By this means
the patient naturally grows worse. Too
many doctors spoil the broth, and the young
est one tumbles into it head foremost. Phil
adelphia Record.