Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-05-07
DIR. KOcien ExnIains.

EDITORS INDEX: Allow me through the me-
dunn of the INDEX to protest against the injus-
tlce done me by the county commissioners.
had four bills for attendance on the poor of
which only two were allowed The report pub
lished says that was allowed for the treat
ment of Sherley, Tennis and White, $500
This is not correct. Only two Tennis bills
amounting to $685., were allowed. The coun-
ty didn't pay one cent of Shirley's BILL though
at first presented, was subsequently with
drawn. Perhaps it was meant Wibler's bill in
stead of Sherley's; but even then / wouldn't
be much better of. This bill for the fracture
of forearm. for $l575, was cut down to nothing
because it was thought to be too big. Why
didn't the commissioners ask some physician
if he thought the bill too big?
The trustee, McElwain. while endorsing the
Wibler bill remarked that the bill was not or
dered. 1t couldn't be ordered. There was no
time to be lost in hunting for the trustee, who
lives near Deerhead The boy with broken arm
was brought to me last August by his mother,
poor widow. from a distance of seventeen
miles. She had no order from the township
trustee. set the fractured arm, but cannot
claim my pay.
My second bill of $685. the White bill, was
showed under for similar reasons. ]. NJ White
| is an invalid and an old soldier He has been
in poor health for several years; but within the
last year he has been going on a decline so rap
idly that he was able to do but little for his own
and his family's support. In consequence he
was obliged to mortgage everything he had
His neiRhbors and friends here In town, among
whom l may mention the county attorney,
seeing his distressed condition, recommended
him to the care of the county through the
township trustee. An address was also signed
by several of his neighbors asking the commits
siOners to pay his doctor bill, which he was not
able to do. The bill was presented to the
trustee, who after having endorsed it, added
that it was not ordered. had no order because
was not thinking about how l would get my
pay. had been physician in the family since
1887; had been furnishing medicines and pro-
fessional services whenever asked. White
paid me along, whenever he could, and when
he could not, kept on waiting on him. just
| the same. One day, last fall, l received word
that White was stricken with paralysis, and
| was ordered to go and see him Immediately.
! went and waited on him. made seven visits,
| for which L charged $4,000. At each visit cleo
| tricity was used, which restored, partly mo-
ton in his limbs Then, in order to make the
| expenses of the treatment less, it was agreed
that he should have battery at home, and
| have the electricity applied by his wife. The
battery furnished and my visits ceased.
| This saved many a five dollar trip to whoever
was to foot the BILL The battery, with express
! charges the fluids and extra electrode cost SO.
| Subtracting from the $50 for visits and so for
the battery. it will not leave very heavy bal
ance for the medicine. But it is an arbitrary
exercise of the power they are invested in,
and lack of justice and fairness that character
ICES their proceeding. My bill was reduced
from $l11.90 to $29.65-to almost one-tourth.
Thinking that other bills were treated in the
same way, l made some inquiries of different
persons who had their bills allowed. 1 went
over to the county clerks Office and found that
the bill of w. T. Rouse, of $lO8, comprising
several items, including his incidentals, was
allowed i'll full. Badger Lumber Co. man says
his bill was allowed in full. Dobbs Bros and
W. H. Harmon both have furnished goods fol
the paupers and had their bills allowed in full
And that was right-all these parties furnished
their goods and their services and they are en-
titled to the pay for them. But why make g
discrimination between one class of taxpayers
and another? Why should not a physician
bill be payed in full He is just as much en-
titled to the pay for his services as a merchant
for the goods he furnished to the county
Years of hard study to obtain professional ed.
ucation, the instruments he uses, the medi
cines he keeps in stock-these are his goods
his invested capital. In my case it is claimed
that the bills would have been allowed If had
gotten an order from the township trustee be-
! fore doing services. Here again inconsistency
is shown. w. II. Harmon furnished goods to
the very same man, ]. NJ. White, amounting to
$2s.1s; Dobbs Bros likewise furnished goods
to the same man for $3.50. Both had their hills
| allowed in full. Yet 1T was not the town shir
trustee who gave the order, but the county at
| torDey. DR., S. KOCIEiL