The sun., 1894-08-30
The Pay OF the Medical Profe ssion

Ihe ray or the Medical PrOfe ssiOn.
We referred recently to the average sal
aries received by American clergymen in
the principal religious denominations. No
less interesting Is the question Of the earn
ings OF physicians and surgeons in this
country. We find some facts relating to
this subject in an article contributed to the
September number of the Forum by Dr.
GEORGE +. SHRADY, and the data collected
are rendered the more instructive by de-
tailed comparison with the state of things
in England, France, and Germany.
The conclusion to which the Forum
article seems to point Is that, in view of the
beneficent work accomplished, the medical
profession is underpaid. The result Of the
authors inquiries is that tho average annual
income of physicians In largo practice in
most Of the large cities cannot be put above
$4,000, while in the smaller towns and
rural districts it scarcely exceeds 81 200.
AS regards the city of New York, it Is as
serted that two or three physicians make
over 100000 year; that five or six range
from $50, 900 to $50, 900; fifty from s25, 900
to $4,000; one hundred and fifty from
$4,000 to SIS, 1000; about three hundred
| from s5, 900 to $4,000; fifteen hundred
from s., 900 to $4,000, and the remainder
from $500 to 81 900. The rule Is said to be
that the largest incomes are ultimately
made by those physicians OF conspicuous
ability who confine their practice to spe-
cial branch. but when the long preparation
necessary and the time spent in attaining
a reputation arc considered, the SUI
periority of receipts is less considerable
than might at first sight be supposed. For
the ordinary practitioner, what Is known as
general family work appears to be the most
remunerative. The rapidity with which
success may be gained depends largely upon
whether the young doctor settles in a rural
district, growing town, or a large city.
Country practice yields more at the begin
ming, but the maximum is sooner reached.
This would obviously follow from the differ
ence in the scale of fees. In many OF the
smaller towns physician gets no
more than half dollar for an office
visit, and but twice that for a call within a
mile from his home. In the large cities the
fees are higher, yet even in New York they
are far from being exorbitant. Tho general
family practitioner charges from 81 to So
per visit to the patient house The average
fee expected from the rich IL but S5,
although twice that sum is usually de-
manded by physicians whose practice is
for the most part limited to such
people, Office consultations of specialists
cost from $40 to Ss5, as do also consul
tation visits. When a New York physi-
clan is called out OF town. the usual
charge, we are told, is from $40 to $50 for
each hour OF absence from home plus trav-
elling expenses, and the regular fee OF s25
To- ha
titioners, however, obtain twice or three
times those amounts. AS might have been
expected, surgical operations command the
highest prices, which vary, according to the
skill and reputation Of Lhs operator, from
500 up into the thousands 1t seems that,
in general, night calls whether ordinary or
consultation visits, are paid for at double
the rates of day calls.
Now, let us see how the earnings OF Amer
lean physicians compare with those of some |
of their European confreres. In England
the guinea is still the standard office fee,
double that amount being charged for out |
side work. In London, however, much |
larger sums are paid to the few physicians |
and surgeons who control the best business.
The same thing may be said Of Paris, where |
the maximum fee for surgical operations |
may bs said to bs 90, 900, such having been |
the ruling OF the court in which a suit |
was lately brought for $40. 900 for a surRi- |
cal service. The usual Partisan fee for sur
geon called in consultation is SEQ, whether
the examination takes place In his office or
at the patients house. The pay OF ply
scian called in consultation Is somewhat
smaller, ranging from sl2 to $50 per house
visit, while at his office it is from 81 to $40. |
The general practitioner in Paris OBJ
tains ON an average SO per visit, but
in aristocratic circles he demands 81.
The highest annual income now received
by any Paris physician is said to be
100000, although the late NJ CHARcOr is
reported to have earned much more There
are two surgeons in the French capital who
are reputed 70 make s1Oo, 900 a year. The
ordinary fees of the medical profession In
Germany seem much lower than our own,
but We must bear in mind that the purchas-
ing power Of the mark is much greater than
that OF its nominal equivalent, a6 cents,
even II it be not quite equal, as DR. SHRADY
thinks, TO that Of q dollar. The German
family d0et9E gsta 2 mark. SE 80 ssnts. fOr