Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-08

wiped out. They do not object to attending
real charity patients, but have decided not
to attend people that can and won't pay,
without being paid in advance. They think
that they are under no obligations TO the
public, and if they are not paid for their
services. will not give them. To sum up the
situation, the DOCTORS by the move of re-
fuslng services to those who can pay, hope
to show the necessity of legislation In
their favor, making it as compulsory to pay
doctors bills as other debts.
In probably no other section of the city
have the doctors to contend more with
charity than on Penn avenue and Butler
street. DR.. j. A. Duncan is one of the old
doctors, who, on account of his long prac-
tice and reputation, is called often to an
swer calls where humanity is the only in
centive and money cannot be obtained for
services. The doctor had read Of the Allie
gheny case.
A HARD PROFESSION.
He said: "The people are not all doctors,
therefore they cannot appreciate doctors
life and endeayors. When a young doctor
starts out in life, ii he is truly htted Tor
the profession, YOU cannot find better
hearted man. Where duty calls, there he
goes, whether remunerated or not But,
when he responds cheerfully and gives his
services he is often treated like brute.
When bill is presented his patient laughs.
AS these instances are repeated time and
again, his sympathetic nature and inner SEN
sibllties are blunted. He becomes cynical,
and an appeal does not touch his heart as
before. But the doctor has never been
known to refuse to alleviate dire distress.
"But there is this much, the doctor is not
bound TO give his services without pay any
more than the grocer his stock in trade. Ills
not of those who cannot paw that we COM
plain, but of those who can but won't. 1 do
not know that it would help matters to pass
anv law to remuuerate doctors for such ser
vices. There would be more doctors than
patients.
"What we doctors are working for is
law that will allow us to collect our bills.
We want the $500 law annuiled. People
can paw doctors bills and when those come
to us that we know will not pay our bills,
why should we not refuse our services with
out guarantee of pay? This mo pay ser
vice is epidemic In certain localities. One
person gets out of paying bill and the rest
think it smart TO follow suit.
FORTUNES COMING TO THEM.
"Why, doctors would be rich if they
could collect two-thirds of their fees, and
would make money if a law was passed By
which they could collect their fees at a
lower rate than at present. 1t would equal
ize payments.
'Of course the city has six physicians,
but there are not enough TO attend to the
people in large districts. Possibly it might
remedy matters to have more physicians,
but if you give us a law that we can collect
from those who can pay, no doctor Will OBJ
iect to attending those who are really
charity patients"
DR.. Hieber in the main voiced the senti-
ments of DIR. Duncan. He is in favor of
wiping out the $500 law and making it COM
pulsory to pay the doctor first. He said
that doctors were not under obligations to
the public, and had right to refuse services
where they know people will not pay, Said
he: "If they can pay and won't and death
results, they can lay it at their own door.
No doctor refuses to treat persons whom he
knows is worthy of the attention. l have
had bills of S107 in one building and only
got s., and do you blame me for refusing to
call again when knew they could pay if
they would?
II treated a woman for eight years on
charity, and when she died it was found
that she had s., 200 in the bank and owned
a house and lot. Ii the law will allow US to
collect bills from those who can pay we will
not object to treating those who cannot. 1t
is the ones who will not pay who disgust us,
and in such cases the doctor is warranted in
refusing services. IF he did not he would
have nlcnty of charity work to do; that of
nccrssitv need not be such.
DIR. kaarns is also an advocate of law
making doctors bill prior in payment to
others. Drs. Asdale, Hanna, Clark and
many Others also favor the revision of the
law. In TACT, the movement appears to be
general among the doctors.