The evening world., 1893-10-02
TOUTS FOR DOCTORS.
They Drum for Patients on Board In
coming Ships and Steamers.
PHYSICIANS WHO CONTRACT To CARE
FOR CREWS EN- BLOC.
QUEER BUSINESS AT QUARANTINE.

1t will surprise many New Workers
to learn that there are many ply sicians
practising in this city who hire run
ners'' to solicit business from strangers
coming here. TIE custom prevails chief
ly among people coming In by sea. 1t
Is said that both physicians and run
ners make a good deal OF money by 1t.
The medical societies have not passed
officially upon the question whether the
hiring OF runners Is a breach OF pro
fessional etiquette or ethics.
Dr. Talmage, at Quarantine. said yes
terday: There are runners for New
York doctors who board incoming ships
as regularly as Quarantine officers board
them. l know OF two who live dow
here. l don know what they make.
but ! should not be surprised to learn
that they receive as high as $1,000 or
5000 n year in commissions. Some of
them, | have heard. get as much as half
the fees turned in to the medical man.
I hear that the doctors make "A very good
thing of 1t. and l know of one who re-
tired recently on a fortune OF SIS, 900 or
slOO. 900.
The method of operation is very
simple. When u foreign ship comes
into port, whose crew were shipped
abroad for the voyage. the captain, or
their medical care when sick. 10 meet
this emergency there are what are
called the wharf doctors. The wharf
doctor for a certain fixed price guar
antees to take medical charge Of the
crew while the ship is In port. II the
%s'ilors fall III of ordinary diseases they
treat them on board while the vessel
lies at her dock or is anchored in the
bay. II the sailor requires special at
t%ention. which cannot be given on, ship
beard, the wharf doctor sends him to
"A hospital and pays the charges. To
what hospital. or what relations the doc
tors have with these hospitals, I am un-
able to saw. OF course all this applies
charge OF by Quarantine authority.
"As to these wharf doctors, ] do not
know where they got their diplomas, or
Some ten or twelve years ago, l believe.
there was an investigation, with the
result that several of the so-called
medical men who were. taking charge
were found to have no diplomas at all,
or such as, were equivalent to none.
Since then l do not rSmem6er to have
1t is by these wharf doctors that the
runners are employed. The runners live
either at Fort Wadsworth or some place
comes in they swarm out to her on
tugs and rowboats like so many sailor
clearinghouse toutS. and endeavor to
strike a bargain with the captain. Those
who have been long in the business of
course have d wide acquaintance among
sea-captaiI 9. and have their regular Gus
toners. With the captains who have
no acquaintance among the runners 1t
is usually a case of first come first
served. This naturally makes competi-
ton very keen. and there are now and
then some lively races. Efforts to I'M
derbid are as lively as are the efforts to
get at the ear of the captain first. Not
very long ago there was IA sharp
cut in medical rates owing to the
Introduction into the field OF a new and
very active runner who had the adj
vantage of a long semi-amphibious life
at the Narrows. and who. consequently.
had a long list of acquaintances among
sea captains He not only began get
heavy margin off existing rates. Ships
that had been doctored at SIS a head for
a stay of ordinary length in port found
that they could get the same service
under the new conditions for $40. That
Is about the existing state of the wharf
doctor market at present.
Still they make money. Such drugs
as they have to serve out, or pretend
to serve out, to poor Jack while he is in
port, are not the highest-priced articles
OF the kind, and besides, there is always
the chance OF there being no sick sail
ors on board a ship to look after. In
such case the wharf doctor simply pays
his runner his commission and poke 8
what is left. In other words, 1t is a
queer kin of insurance business. which
II Is very easy to see might, without
much fear of annoying Investigations. be
conducted by very queer doctors.