Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-07-29
SPECIALISTS OF LARGE INCOMES.
Physicians Who Sometimes Earn Thei
Fees Easily.

a WISH IN Cnc morning UO tHo OillCo
of any of the specialists who have
succeeded in establishing themselves
in business in this city will make it
clear why so many young medical
students arc possessed of the philan-
thropio intention of devoting their
careers TO alleviating q single human
i'll.
The usual Office hours are from 8
a. m. to p. m. During that time
from . to 20 patients will generally
be found waiting their turn in the
reception room. The fee commonly
charged by specialists of the first
class is $40 for the first consultation
and IS for each subsequent inter-
view. The physicians who are at
the very top in their special branches
of the medical profession have a
higher scale of fees. From these fig
ures one may calculate incomes of
specialists ranging upward from
SO, 600, $40, 900 and $50, 900 year.
That is from their Office practice in
the morning. In addition they have
the afternoon in which to visit pa
tents and to perform operations.
The fees charged for performing
operations are exceedingly high in
special cases, so that altogether the
specialist is worry we'll rewarded for
whatever peculiar skill and knowl-
edge no may have acquired
The proceedings at one of the In
terviews between specialist and pa
tient are sometimes of u simplicity
surprising to layman, and the
physician seems to earn his fee
easily Not long ago, when it came
man 5 turn TO be admitted into the
consultation room of an oculist of
high standing in this city, the ply
stefan requested him to wait a mo-
mont while he attended to another
patient. The other patient was then
admitted into tho room. 1t was
young girl, who was accompanied
by her mother The oculist merely
raised the girl oyclid, looked at the
eye and told the mother to bring
her daughter back in three days.
For this performance he accepted
the usual fec of So. The proceeding
lasted about one minute.
Often people who are being fitted
with glasses are told to return again
and again to the oculist, while he
goes over the measurements until
the patients are profoundly Impress
ed with the conviction that while it
is we'll TO be careful it must also be
exceedingly profitable.
Oculists are not alone among spe-
cialists as regards earning their fees
with apparent ease-for instance,
some physicians who make q Especial
ty of skin complaints seem to be
equally fortunate. The man who
saw tho ooulist charge SIS for min
ute's work told some friends about
it. Whom he get through, his expo
rience was capped by man who
went for treatment toa skin special
list of the same standing as the ocu-
list
81 had light attack of eczema y
he said. II went to him, was assur-
ed that my case was durable, got
prescription and paid $40 l never
had any trouble since. But tho doc
tor had told me TO come back to him
in week, and went. Then he told
me to come back In another week,
and l did so. Each visit cost mo SIS.
Finally asked him how much longer
he thought I'd have to go there. He
said about year Then / stopped
off short and saved about $3.50 in
fees and haven t regretted it since.
The trouble with him was that he
cured me too quick. y
This physician, like the others re-
ferred to, is of the highest standing
in his profession, does not advertise
and hates quacks. Many of his pa
tionts are women, who show less
strength of mind than the man who
told tho StOry.-New York Sun.