Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-11-08
$3.50. --
A MEDICAL TRUST.
.. IN. s,en Formed to Aid Members N
Time Of Illness


A curious novelty In business enter.
nrise Is being conspicuously advertised
IT., town. II is an "association' TO
,ur,isb medical attendance and drugs
=. ,,s MANNERS at bedrock" prices.
and even below For forty cents per
month the association guarantees CON-
netent medical attendance. And THIS
medical ..combine" processes to have
orranpements made at good, reliable
drup-stores in all parts OF town by
which prescriptions will be hlled alta
uniform cost of twenty cents each, no
matter what ingredients they may con-
tain for the associations members.
We it is by no means improbable
that at that price prescriptions, taking
them as they run, would still pay
largo profit to the pharmacists, whose
ordinary percentage of profit is from
tn, ee hundred to eight hundred per
oart There are some few rare chem
icals and costly drugs that could not DO
made I'D in appreciable quantities at
anv such figure, but they are very lit
fla REQUIRED, and doubtless 1t is UNDER
stood that the associations physicians
shall not call for them; or, II they DO,
that they shall strike good general
average by turning in a lot OF pre-
scrintious that will not cost over q
cent each to FILL Latin is fine cloak
for such little games. But all this Is,
of course, mere speculation. The
scheme of the concern may be honest
enough and its practice may have no
perceptible effect in increasing the
bills or mortality Surely some device
is wanted to fill in between the chari-
tv of the dispensaries and the robbery
~ fashionable medical practice, by
which people of moderate means can
have and paw for medical attendance
when they are sick.
Some Hebrew societies have rather
ingenious system for getting their
doctors bills down to a minimum.
They contract with a physician by the
year to attend all cases OF illness
among members OF their families for
a certain stipulated sum. which Is paid
whether any body needs doctor dur
ing the year or not or course. In
sickly season the physician might feel
that they are rather getting the best
, of him, but, after all. he would only
be called upon to skip around little
more lively and be more anxious to
: effect cures than if he were charging
by the visit.
Indeed, this thing of charging by the
visit for medical attendance is the weak
point in the relations between the doc
tor and his patients. 1t is to his inter
est to keep them sick as long as posi-
BILE. SO clearly is this recognized By
many of our practical, long headed
business men-who have none,
. enough to enable them to do as the.
please-that they now follow the ex
u ample of the Hebrew societies and en-
= gage the services OF their physician
by the year, paying whether they ant
: theirs are sick or well. Accouchment
), are as rule excepted from sucl
=, contracts, as they are too goo
u plums for family doctors t
let go into general account The an
% dual terms of such contracts run all tn
- way from $3.50 to 81, 500. 1t is an es
y celent arrangement for the doctor
- who. with few such good contract
~ on his hands can be easy about his il
" come, and it is good tor the patients
as it is clearly to the interest of tn
physician to keep them as we'll as pos
sible to save himself trouble.
The next better thing is the Chimes
system of hiring the doctor by the yea
d and stopping his salary whenever h
patient is sick. 1t will be a sad da
for druggists and undertakers if tn,
plan ever gets foothold in this coul
- try.-N. Y. Mail and Express.