The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-09
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, sEPTEMBER9 1894

year; the preacher gets considerably
more.
DR.. Shrady's article, in the September
Forum, gives emphasis TO the fact that
there is always room at the top for men
Of marked ability, in medicine as well as
in other calings, and there is always
demand for their services. In New York
city there are two or three physicians
whose annual incomes mount up TO ABOUT
100000; there are five or six others who
make ,J0o to 100000 year, and fifty
hothers who make from SIS, 900 TO $50, 900.
len thousand dollars a year is the
sum Of the income of probably $50
New York physicians, while there
are may be l.5OO other physicians
who get from 81, 900 to $1,000 year.
Still these are not all. There are great
many more, young fellows just starting
on: and older fellows who are failures,
who fall below 81, 900 a year.
There are two classes of practitioners in
medicine, the general practitioner and the
specialist. The former gets his expert
ence while he is building up his reputa-
tion and his income. The latter must get
his experience and reputation before he
even begins to be a success. For this
reason there is considera bic difference
in the fees of the general practitioner and
the specialist. With the one the fees are
comparatively small, steady and I'M
changeable, while with the other the
fees are governed by circumstances.
Large fortunes, DR.. Shrady says, are
very seldom made in either class of prac-
tice.
Early success in medicine depends to a
great extent upon whether the young
practitioner settles in a rural district, a
growing town or a large city. Country
practice yields more in the first years,
but it soon reaches its maximum. In the
other instances the room for growth
being larger, the practitioners success is
measured by his capability.
Payments for medical services varies
in different localities. In the larger cities
the fees are always comparatively higher.
But even in New York the charges are
not extravagant. The general family
practitioner charges 81 to So per visit to a
patients house. The amount of the
charge is fixed in accordance with the
ability of the patient to pay. The S. fees
are charged the more well-to-do Physi-
clans whose practice is almost limited to
the wealthy make their fees $40 or even
S25 per visit. Office consultations by ex-
perts range from $40 up, as do also con-
sultation visits. Visits out of town are
charged for at the rate of $40 to $50 per
hour for each hour of absence, plus tray
cling expenses. Some few New York
physicians charge three or four times
these figures and have no trouble in get
ting their money.
The pay of physicians all over the civ
ilized world is about the same, when the
cost of living is taken into consideration
In Germany the mark is the unit of
money. The mark is supposed to be worth
about % cents in American money The
average physician in Germany receives 2
marks per visit. One mark in Germany
has as much purchasing power as 81 has
in this country, hence the German doctor
receives what is to him the equivalent of
81 per visit-about what the average
American doctor gets. The same rule APP
plies to the physicians of England and
France. In actual cash, the average ply
stefan in America receives the greatest
bulk of money, but he cannot buy more
with it than his European friends can
buy with their smaller fees.
Surgical operations command the high
est prices, and range from S100 upwards,
according to the skill and fame of the
operator. Night calls are charged twice
the fee for day calls.