The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-09-13
THE PAY OF PHYSICIAN MS.

THE PAY OF PHYSICIANS. =
DR.. Geo. F. shrady in the Forum.
Some of the fees paid by royalt,
have been eminently befitting tn,
giver and taker. The late physician
to the Prince OF Wales received fol
four weeks attendance at Sandring
ham, during the illness of his dis
tinguished patient from typhoid
fever, not only the usual title OF
baronet, but fee Of 100000. Sir
Morell Mckenzie is reported to have
received more than twice this
amount for his treatment of the late
Emperor Frederick of Germany.
Dimsdale, a prominent practitioner
Of London in 1852, was called thence
to st. Petersburg to vaccinate the
Empress Catherine H., for which he
received not only the equivalent of
$4,000, but an extra $4,000 for
travelling expenses, the title OF
baron, and life pension of 81, 500
yearly. His Royal Highness the
Nawab of Rampur, India, recently
paid an English army surgeon ESQ, 900
for three months occasional atten-
dance in an ordinary attack OF rheu-
matism. The late Sir Andrew Clark,
Gladstone's physician often was paid
81 900 for running down from Lon
don to Liverpool, and the late Sir
William Gull commanded equally
high rates for similar services. A
Bussian surgeon charged a wealthy
notable Of Odessa $6, 900 for opening
an abcess on the hip, the. time
vveuPsou S~s-s-=-r'--@ - .---A--A----s---s~- -
And better, while on the same visit,
he took a chance shot at another
patient in the shape Of a similarly
simple operation, for which he
received nearly $500 more, GER
tainly enough extra to pay the fee
of the railway porter on his home
ward journey.
But in all this it is not 30 much the
doing as the knowing how to do.
When the French peasant said that
there were not ten francs worth Of
paint on Rosa Bonheur's "Horse
Fair" he was incapable of valuable
high art. give dollars for ampu-
tating the Leg" said the surgeon,
"and nine hundred and ninety-five
for knowing how,"-and the victim
was thankful accordingly.
The incomes of professional men
can be discussed only in an approx
mate way. As the amount OF money
earned is considered by the public
as measure Of appreciation Of
services rendered, there is a ten
dency to stretch the imagination in
the direction OF what should be,
rather than what actually is. Ply :
sicians form no exception to this
rule. The average annual income OF
physician in to- practice in q
large city may be stated as 1000,
and in the smaller towns and in
strictly rural districts $1,000. Two
or three physicians in New York
make over 10000 each year; Ave
or six range from $50, 900 to $40, 200;
fifty from s25, 900 to 10000; one
hundred and fifty from $4,000 tc
s12, 900; about three hundred from
5000 to $4,000; fifteen hundred
q, 900 to $4,000, and the remainder
from $500 to $1,000.
Another serious obstacle to legiti
mate income 10 the quack medicine
trade. Quackery is medical prac,
tice commercialixed, and therefor,
prostituted. 1t thrives because tn,
victims are in the majority and ar
easily reached by lying advertise
ments. "What is the proportion o
sensible people In this crowdf'
asked a patent medicine man Of
physician. "About one In ten,
was the answer. ''I take the min
and leave the one to you," said tn
quack. This represents the majorit,
which help to make the quack rich
The nostrums cost almost nothing
but the capital is used in advertising
In making pictures Of the idiots ant
feeble minded who imagine them
selves cured; in placarding fences
In defacing scenery; ins publishin
manufactured certificates; In ridi
culing scientific medicine lin alsrmin
the credulous; in claiming false dis
coveries; and in vaunting impossibl
results. But these are the men VIII
make the money. Medicine to ther
il the nickel -the-slot machine
The diagnosis Is ready made to su
every need, and even otherwis
sensible people are being educate
into quaekery, ). and into the belle
that every man can be his ow
doctor Aad not have : fool for
paalssi,