The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-04-20
SICK AND TAKEN IN.
HELPLESS +oTEL GUESTS FLEEcEp
BY BIG DOCTORS, FEES.

Many Hotels In the Big Metropolis and In
Chicago Are In League with Conscisncs-
less Members of the Medical Profession
to Extort Money.
Every large hotel in the city nowadays
has physician resident in the building.
His presence in the hotel is one Of the
proofs of the completeness Of the modern
hostelry, SO far as the provision and COM
fort of the guest is concerned. The idea
of having doctor within instant call is
beyond all question an excellent one, but
it seems that it has of late been subject
to grave abuse. The fact has got out
that some of the hotel physicians make
use of their position to levy extortionate
charges for the treatment of guests who
have been luckless enough to fall I'll
among strangers.
Complaint is made that far from being
q blessing to the guest, the ease with
which medical attendance can be secured
has In such cases become source Of
genuine dread to visitors 30 the big city
who have to stop at hotels. The guests
fear even a trifing illness while In the
hotel. because if they make the fact
known that they want to see a doctor
they viii be charged fee out Of ali pro-
portion to the service rendered by the
doctor, whose chief claim to patronage
is that he is always near at hand"
Complaint has been made against the
doctors charges in two OF the best known
hotels in the town to prominent con-
sulting physician.
when was taken sick at the hotel
the other night" one of the complainants
said, 81 asked the head clerk to send me
DR.. S."
"Dr. S.r' said the clerk in seeming
establishment. 81 never heard of him.
But we have competent physician in
the hotel whom l will send to your
ROOM" ... .~-,e. .-. ...f.-.. e.
The hotel doctor did go to the room in
response to the request Of the clerk. &c
made several visits during the night, al
though the guests didn't want and didn't
need more than one visit. A fee Of &C
was charged in the bill, and the guests
had to pay it. Subsequent investigation
made it clear that the reason fer nh
high fee was that the hotel physisisu
had made an arrangement with the ho.
tel proprietor by which the latter get q
third of this big fee. The guests also
learned that this sharing Of the Tee had
been the custom at the hotel for very
long time, and that guests submitted to
it rather than have any wranglc at the
clerks desk over charges, a thing that
self respecting persons naturally dread
and will avoid even where the charge ID
a manifest imposition. The abuse haa
recently attracted the attention Of fhe
professionals, who do not practice ID no
tells, and has evoked an earnest protest
and demand for reform.
The Medical Record, under the head
ing Doctors and HOTELS" handles the
subject in this vigorous style:
Every person of sensitive morals, and
a good many with only every day sensi-
biLties would be shocked if the whole
story of the relations of doctors TO hotels
were written. There is a fashionable
hostelry in this town where the hotel
doctor charges 81 visit, and there is the
best reason for believing that the hust-
ling landlord gets So of it. It Is stated
on good authority that in many hotels
the official doctor is obliged to give up
from one-fifth to one-third of his charges
to the business management. People
who are taken i'll in hotels must have q
doctor and are not disposed to question
about terms. They do not find out what
these are until they settle the bill. and
then expostulation is too late" ,.
! It is only just to say that all the hotel
physicians are not parties to this mean
sort of swindling. Many of them are
physicians of high repute who live at the
hotels and pay for their board and lodg.
ings the same as any other guests and
have a regular and legitimate schedule
of charges based upon the market value
of their professional services. In cases
where there is "divvy" between Shs
doctor and the hotel the physician get.
his lodgings and board at a reduced rate.
He is appointed by the hotel proprietor,
and he excuses the high fee on the plea
that he has to charge more than his reg.
ular rate in order to make good the bonus
to the proprietor. This bonus is dc.
manded for the privilege Of practicing IL
the hotel
This abuse is worse in Chicago than
it is in New York." a prominent ply.
stefan said. =
"The bonus system is certainly an out
rage on the travelling public, nsaid an.
other physician, "but at the same time
the6hotel doctor should not shonldar a.
entire blame for it. The responnbflisy
rests with the hotel proprietor who d
mean enough to look for gain from the
sickness of one of his patrons. Z Il moi
using very strong language TO can thi,
barbarism. Hotel proprietors whs faysu
the fleeing of the sick in their estabiish.
ments ought to be tabooed by every hon.
orable and self respecting man ma No.
man. If guests were to stay away fSox,
such hotels, the bonus system would b
quickly suppressed. New York Sun. 3
E@a .ss--.. .-