The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-07

how he is to spend his evenings for the
week, aud when he retires for the night
he is seldom disturbed. He NAV 20 oil
on a vacation and leave his work for his
assistants with little fear Of loss. If an
important case arises he may direct 1t
from distance, or come home in time
to care for It.
MUCH HARD WORK.
The doctor in general practice can
never call moment his own. He is
expected to turn out at all hours Of the
day or night on the slightest provoca-
ton. His patients will frequently at
tend to business for an entire week and,
on Sunday morning send him an ur-
gent call. Every day that he is absent
from business. means three days lost,
because his patients get into other doc
tors care. This incessant labor, this
broken rest, together with exposure to
all kinds OF weather, aud frequent con-
tact with disease, greatly increases the
mortality Of physicians. Whereas, be-
fore the age Of fifty years the mortality
Of physicians is about three per cent
less than the average mortality for the
same age, between the ages OF fifty and
seventy. The mortality of doctors is
about eight per cent greater than the
average. It is very seldom that a law
yer loses his lie in the line OF duty, but
among physicians this Is by no means
uncommon. 1t frequently happens
that doctors contract contagious dis
eases, and many others die, as did the
late lamented Dr.. ]. Suydam Kuox, as
the result of exposure and overwork.
CONTRAST IN FEES.
The contrast in the matter Of pay
shows very fayorably for the legal pro-
fession. The average mental ability is
certainly no greater among lawyers
than doctors. 1t is seldom, however,
that lawyer charges less than s.. The
average charge for an Office consulta-
is not over ST for physicians. For a
doctor to present bill OF 1000 or
$1,000 is deemed sufficient cause for
branding the entire profession as a lot
OF thieves, but lawyer is often paid
$4,000 ore even $4,000 without excit-
ing very great comment. Only short
time ago the attorneys for receiver OF
q broken bank collected $25, 900 for their
services, which they did not claim were
unusual in amount or quality.
Many sections Of the country have
been over-run by a lot Of ignorant men
calling themselves specialists and doc
tors AS rule they have no diploma
even from a high school. Many Of
them parade diplomas from bogus col
leges. Many OF these fellows find it
betterfor theirbusiness to travelGround.
Some OF them locate. They talk to their
patients in very educated manner, but
any intelligent physician can easily de-
tect general ignorance OF the entire
science of medicine. Such men work
only for the money they can get, and
they have wrought great injury to the
medical profession.
REGULATING THE PRACTICE.
But in law it is left to the members
OF the bar to decide who shall be adj
mitted to practice the profession. Every
pit to grant to tho medical profess
sion similar control over new aspirants
for professional honors has been met
with the greatest opposition. The last
legislature of Ohio, for example, treated
the subject as a huge joke. Illinois has
been leader in this country in the reg
ulation Of the practice OF medicine, and
vet the board OF health has been con-
stantly hampered in its attempts to pro
tect the citizens from impostors.
On account OF the foregoing con-
siderations as we'll as others, q large
proportion OF physicians withdraw
from tho practice OF medicine and de-
vote themselves to other callings In
view OF all these things, no person
should enter the profession OF medicine
as money-making scheme. Other
lines will pay better. Neither should
he go into the practice unless he is pre-.
pared to wait for his business. One of
the most prominent physicians in Chi
cago, himself the son of an eminent
member OF the profession, and thus not
only fully equipped for the work, but
assisted by his fathers influence, collect
cd in hiasixth year of practice only 81 600.
It must be remembered that $1,000 for
q physician only equals about 81 900 or
$1,000 paid to clerk in counting.
room. There is a growing tendency to
mako the medical profession the pro-
fession Of the wealthy class, for the rea-
son that poor young men cannot afford
to enter It, Whereas In law the begin.
ner may assist himself materially by
making collections and by doing clerical
work, tho young doctor must stick ex-
clusively to his profession or he never
will succeed. In the future even more
than in the past he who would become
q physician must be man OF broad
education, thorough culture and an en-
thusiastic scientist.