The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-07-01

these 60 to show that the time has come
when the people are fully awake and mean
business. Say ( might continue to note
the rapid aud unceasing progress Of this
country; but, tie time has come, when in
astice to myself and the people with whom
OF explanation concerning my chosen pro-
fession III i'd reader, in order to make my
few remarks clear, must go back a few
years. and relate to you, the circumstances
under which began the study of medicine,
so that you may be better prepared to judge
of my action. since I am with you. TO be-
gin with, you will no doubt remember, that
there use 70 be time, when to be Physi-
clan, II was almost necessary that that man
must be some kind of a foreigner, some one
OF whom we knew very little or nothing. and
in many Instances the result was that some
daring stranger would settle among us and
shield himself with the title of doctor, !"
and no questions were asked. There use
man who was called .tDoctor.'' But. to-
day, thank God, our people have found out
that they have as much intelligence, and
capacity, ~ any foreigner or stranger, no
sons Of Louisiana, the sons Of Acadia, ann
proud to say. can 60 into the depth of the
healing art, a. we'll sas any other nation on
the face q the globe. GBear in mind, please.
that these remaIks are not uttered with a
spirit Of false pride, bat they are, no more.
nor ]s44tlan facts, which you arc all aware
Of, as we'll a. am. In the next place, it is
useless for me to state, that after the disas-
trous results of our" late war. Louisiana was
1niaeds and .hsk the then growing genera
wo.t Well I an proud to say that ~
side, until was able to- ply my way up,
and was finally rewarded with a diploma,
from the medical. department of the s'rulane
University Of Loaisixna,'' one of the lead
ing. medical colleges. in the United States.
Beloved louisiana, well may you be proud
Of that: grand institution, which survived
now as prosperous rs any institution of its
kind, no matter where located, whether in
the old or in the new world. So far, SO
good. Ever since first began practising
medicine, found out that people could not
afford to pay physicians the fees usually
charged for the simple reason that their
crops sell so poorly, and an, one of those
who believe in th1t old saying. .'live and
let live" I would IKE TO know, if it is not
too hard for the farmer, who is sell
ing his cotton at such a low price, to begin to
pay a physicians bill of say fifty, OK seven
ty-fvc dollars and sometime more in one
year, for we must bear in mimi that the
more sickness he has in his family, that much
less will he be able to pay correspondinRly
high bill. So then, came to the conclu-
sion like some other physicians have done,
that most families could manage to pay the
SUM of fifteen dollars year TO have the SER
WIS NJ d pLSSISlAHs aAO LIE phySlS1Au Oh
the other hand with say, one hundred falai-
lies, making the nice little sum of fifteen
hundred dollars year, can get along nicely,
especially when know by experience. that
could get along very well, with much less
than that, when working on the farm. Now
as we all know that new physicians are grad
ua,cd every year by the thousands, and in
case some might think, that they cannot
make Z living at that rate, there many
new one, who will think otherwise. l will
A c2nlit thar ,,3,vs1rian 4 hard LOT this
world. He has many cares and trials t.,
lcrgo. We were all created to work. Now
then, l am coming to the issue, and i, is simply
This there exists 4 medical association in this
State OF which I have been 4. member 70:
many years. The suid association has seen
fit for the better projection of the ply sicisnS,
# course, not Tor the benefit Of the public at
arEe, to pass a law latelysEby which the
members are prevented to practice mceicsinc
~ contract. and I. finding that oat, anu in
ending to do practice by contract. as stated
lbnve, .Sknely fifteen dollars per y.ar
scr family, Though. best to se,'ain my res
gnaton. ~-S
IL appears that those. wise men have seer,
'est not to accept my resignation, and
lave been Informed by some Of the families
contracted with that they had been app
by son1c Physicians of this town f IT
he purpose of obtaining '1hcir Signatures.
vhch would g., to show that: did con. ra.t
With them at fifteen ei"l!prs yea., car
a:ily see that their iica IL TO h-i::S f.,r;-.
roof before the next msctihs, of the society,
n order that they may have the Au.:auj'
abstraction Of cxpclin:; me-. from. that body
never done anything in my life in the dark;
'hatcvcr d. I'm never afraid to expose,
nj will now state to those physicians who
re trying TO make my clients believe: that I
IN guilty of some terrible crime, and that
hey must sign paper in order to- pass sen
ence on my head, as it were, to them say,
GU need NOT go to that trouble, for I shall
willingly and cheertully give you the list of
II the families contracted with land am
lad it is increasing every day. and who I
nay add, are glad of this new way of meet
ng their physicians bill, for sore Of them
Sc to pay sometime over a hundred dollars
year to their physician.
shall also state to those physicians that
hey need not trouble themselves about me,
came here to stay, and am going to stay
, spite of not only themselves, but in spite
f the whole world. This is plain I hope.
1 shall take one hundrad families and then
lose my list. My work will be compare
vely easy, and I will be satisfied. Lafayette
lits me, with its go-ahead people. I am
and the encouragement have re-
eived during the short time, have been
ere, has been far beyond my expectation.
ONE of the more daring physicians went so
Ar as to try to make some of my clients be-
eve that in case I should need to consult
18th another physician, that none here would
Onsult with me. If that is the case, which
doubt very much, for there ought to be
ou,es physicians in this town, OUT OF THE