The morning call., 1894-09-06
REWARDS OF PROFESSIONALS.

The doctors. like the clergymen. are
rebeling against the unequal division of
the spoils among the members of the pro-
fession. De. ShradY, young GOuld's
father-in-law, SAYS that the average in
come of a physician in good practice In
the cities does not exceed $1,000 a year,
while country and village doctors do not
average $1,000 year. Famous doctors
make from $4,000 TO 100000, but they
may be counted Oh the fingers: 1t appears
that IN Germany the average family doc
tor in good practice makes about $3.50
year, and in France not over $780, In
hose countries, as here, men of emnence
aame their own fees. 1t is said that the
physician who attended the Prince of
Wales IN his attack of typhoid fever got
$685. 900 for his services besides the title of
Baronet, and Sir MOrell Mackenzie is re-
ported to have received 100000 for at
tending the Emperor Frederick. DR..
Shrady says that some American million
aires who take their family physicians
with them when they travel pay them at
the rate of $50, 600 or $50, 600 year. But,
OF course, these are exceptional cases and
no deductions can be drawn from them.
The rule in this country is TO pay the
doctor 81 for consultation at his Office,
ana from So TO s. when he visits the pa
tient at home. But the rule varies with
the standing of the physician, the gravity
OF the case and the means of the patient
Some eminent doctors will not consider a
case for less than $40; others again are
glad to render their services for 81 There
are doctors who, when they get the case Of
rich man, do not think they are doing
themselves justice if they cure him for less
than S5000 In London sufferer who
visits an eminent physician expects to
leave a guinea, wrapped in tissue paper,
on the chimney piece in France, the fee
for visit 30 the doctors Office is 10 francs;
in Germany II is 80 cents. The moral is
that if man can choose a place to be i'll
in. it had better be Germany.
Comparing the aggregate rewards of the
several professions. and their relative USE
fulDesS, the doctor cannot be said to be
overpaid His income is limited TO his
fees. T1ere are no perquisites attached
to the medical calling. II is doubtful
whether lawyers average as a whole $1,000
year in our cities; bur they get Offices.
aud opportunities. and If they are un-
scrupulOus they have many chances of
active competition for Superior Court
judgeshlps in the rural counties OF this and
other States, it may be inferred that the
leading lawyers In the smaller towns do
not make $4,000 all told; and from
the difficulty which is. experienced in
persuading hrst-clasS men to accept such
posts in the larger cities il may be de-
duced that a frst-class practice Yields
more than that sum. In the large cities
popular clergymen probably receive as
much, and some of them considerably
more. In country towns the pay is less,
but the congregation makes il up to the
minister by gifts at Christmas and other
gratuities. Few clergymen in our day can
be said 10 be passing rich on $40 a year"
An officer Of the army receives less than a
doc or few of thsm get over $500 year;
but they have rations and allowances, and
they live in communities which have
learned 10 make little money go as far as
possible; perhaps they suffer less from
poverty than any other class of profes-
sionals.
After all, these workers are entitled to
what the lawyers call Quantum meruit.
From this standpoint it certainly does
seem that the medical lnan is underpaid.
For without disparaging the value Of the
services rendered by the lawyer, the min
lister and the soldier, it must be confessed
that the world could dispense with them
all more easily than it could with the doc
tor. 1t Is possible to conceive a society
in which there were 10 lawyers, no clergy
men and no fighting men. But no one in
his senses would want to live in place
where there were no doctors