The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-22
TOO MANY FREE PATIENTS.
NOW THE PRIT1JEGEs OF TEE DIS.
PhNSIRlES ARE Abused.

PANS4RIEs ARE ABUSED.
More Than Hair = Miiiion FREQ Patients
Treated In n Yenr-Some Ride to the Door
OF the Dispensnry In Their Owu Car.
ringes-A Drastic Remedy Proposed.
For a number Of years the practising ply
sicians OF this town have been dissatisfied with
the abuse Of the privileges afforded by the
dispensaries. The object OF the dspensaries
is TO give free medical treatment to persons
who arc tou poor to pay for the services Of
regular physicians The physicians have all
along complained that the dispensaries have
habitually extended their practice far beyond
their legitimate limits. and have treated thou
sands Of patients not entitled to charity. This.
OF course. has decreased the business Of the
physicians
facts. the dispensaries have never denied. In.
Decd the doctors In charge Of the dispen saries
have all along complained that 80 many we'll
to,do people demand their attention that many
OF the really poor and deserving suffer. There
have been attempts In the past to remedy the
evil. and q few years ago several Of the larger
dispensaries combined to exclude all Appli-
csnts who could not prove that real poverty
made charity necessary IN their cases
Tho attempt failed. however. and the failure
came about through jealousies among the dis
pensaries. It happened this way. These In.
stttutions have increased greatly in number
during the last dozen years. As most Of them
depend upon the patronage OF the wealthy
for their support and make periodic appeals to
the charitable public. It became the desire Of
each to show US large results at the end Of
each year as possible. From this followed. In
almost every institution. clashinG interests be-
tween the dlspensary doctors and the NAM
agement. the doctors wishing to exclude all
except necessary patients and the manage.
ment wishing to swell as much as possible the
lists Of patients treated. The management,
OF course. always won. Hence competition
has increased among institutions. the evil has
grown. and last year tho fifty hospitals and
seyonty-two dispensaries Of the city treated
$4,000 patients. or nearly third OF the popu.
lation of the city.
Now again the evil has come under discus.
sion. and this time It looks as If something
would really be done. for not only do the out
side physicians who suffer- from loss Of prac.
Tes S ss ssp find Il
Clinic. the dispensary connected with the Col:
inotce to The ct that s1spicicusp esses
would be referred to the, Charity 0reaniza-
picous cases we're meant applicants Tor free
sb wa os well s do
were slim. The Charity Organization Society
GOV could not begin to handle the cases. even Il
sea Per cent: So tthe Medical JurisPsadenss
to appeal to the Legislature. ~ 1
was e. the last Of the society that
the oams up s AS rssais q 4 the dis
ing it a nisd emaapor for an individSai to Oh:
REPRESENTATIONS. DR.. W. II. Bstes, who road
the paper on this occasion was t leader n the
Of this committee. and he said the other dSy
~ investisation has shown that fully hall, o,
serving Il It. This estimate is bssed on tho
Pss y ST. ds u.s.
sbout Pssss condition ais
sss gs SssutSt Ssss g sSsSss
a mechanic that know Of Who assured R tie
doctors that no only earned $500 year and
come Of 81 200: and, property besides; There
are hundreds Of such cases on record. and Of
case. That would reauIre an army e Of detsc.-
tiyes. In fact, they can Investigate very few.
Most n dHf fpfl treat PRACTICALLY al Who
ity. The dispensary becomes SO crowded that
the deserving are frequently crowded out The
=
lieve that the law only can bring relief, Il is a
misdemeanoi to obtain property under false
eaa Ehy P0q NJ as. e e s ea SHF
such law would be something like this:
Let every person. who applies at e dis.
giving his true address. the number IN his
family. how many members Of II are engaged
income is larger than $500 or therea bouts. he
prosssated Under the lsw. belisSe' this =. plan -
reporter who Visited the Vanderbilt Clinic
the other day. during the busy. midday
treat s Who Would probatiy feel insatsd
one should address them In SO many words as
among item Who wers s'i neatly lily am and even
tba a hsy n
S Wore iiGht oSereoat and carried Sn silvsro
headed cane got his ticket fr9T the CLERK but
msntf" tho dispensary, doctor asked.
nedss & ses good sss
.. SSNo. yop can't" sald, the doctor. decidedly.
had some early in the day and Brought novels
Til tine
doctors call this the Knitting class One the
drove up in cabs. Some wore seal akin
sacques. and fully half wore kid gloves. Occs-
sion,allya won woman any, who wore diamonds diam would
plicant receives treatment, nevertheless. 10
be sure the clinic is u department OF the Col
students get points BY watching the doctors
treat the patients. Nevertheless the doctors
say that II treatment were given only TO the
really deserving poor. the dispensary would
serve the purposes OF the college just as we'll.
and would treat less than half Its usual mum.
Der OF patients.
Two Squirrel Stories.