New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-30
DOCTORS ANP DISPENSARTES.

The current discussion which Is earnest and
promises to be prolonged, of the alleged griev-
ances of the medical profession against dis
pensaries and hospitals is no new thing. II is
merely the latest development Of controversy
which has long been raging In this and other
lands. In France there has been much agita
ton Of the subject. In Great Britain. where
medical men arc more numerous, there has been
more the leading medical journals regularly
dcvoting large department TO it in every issue
In the United States there are more physicians
and surgeons in proportion to the population
than anywhere else In the world, and If the
controversy has not yet here become keenest. it
may well be expected so TO do. AS unanimously
indicated during the last week. the case is this
The doctors. a large number OF them, COM
plain that people, instead of applying to them
for treatment and paying them fees, go to hos
pitfalls and dspensaries and get treatment free
or at a nominal price. This. they say, is done
not only by the poor. but by people we'll able 10
pay doctors fees. The result Is that the medi
cal profession is pecuniariy less profitable than
|, should be- In all of which there Is doubtless
much truth. 1t is doubtful, however, if it would
be possible to remedy the evil off-hand by
single act of legislation.
IL would not 90. lot eNalnple, iO uDoiSn wv
hospitals and dispensares or materially 10
lessen their number. AS a matter OF fact. there
are not now enough of them. There is probably
no other large city in the world so well supplied
with such institutions as New-lork. Yet IN
ordinary times they are often overcrowded, ana
In case Of serious epidemic they would be al
together inadequate. Nor is that by any means
because they are thronged by people who have
no business in them. Strictly speaking, every
sick or injured person has right to go to
hospital Those who are able to pay should pay
for the privilege, and those who are able but
do not pay are guilty of gross breach OF pro-
priety and morals. But whether they are doing
so or not is a question entirely apart from thai
of adeouate accommodation. The first duty Is
To provide room for all who need II, and the ques-
tion of making the well-to-do pay is to be at
tended 10 afterward Moreover, il Is perfectly
well known that the legitimate charitable work
Is not yet sufficient for the need. There are
not hospitals and dSpensaries enough for the
DOOR. who cannot afford TO pay for such things.
So there must be no abolition Of such instltu-
tons
Discrimination in dispensing their benefits
there should be- no doubt. But to exercise II
Alright is one Of the most difficult OF tasks.
When man with a broken leg comes to hos
pital YOU cannot tell him to sit on the doorstep
for day or two until you can ascertain the
size of his bank account. When woman brings
her sick baby TO the dspcnsary You cannot tell
her to stand in line until you have put her h'is-
band through the interesting legal operation
known as supplementary proceedings. Acute
distress demands immediate relief, and 1t Is bet
ter 70 give some relief 10 the unworthy than to
withhold il from the worthy Proper and tactful
vigilance will enable the managers OF such IN
stitutOns TO detect and reject most OF the I'M
worthy applicants. Some will, no doubt, escape
detection. That is To be expected. 1t Is a rule
of social organization. People patronizc free
Iihrories who are well able to buy the books
they want. and they do so sometimes to the dep
riyotion Of those who cannot afford to buy.
But YOU cannot stop it. Some Of the most per-
sIstent seekers after free passes and free adver-
tisements and free everything else are people to
whom the actual cost of the things they seek Is
no object. The only remedy for such abuses Is
n moral. not a legal nor technical one.
There is no better remedy for the grievances
Low deplored than that which Hes within the
power of the doctors themselves They must
apply TO their profession two great natural
laws which prevail. or which are coming TO pre-
vail, everywhere else. These are the law OF de
man1 and supply AMI the law Of the survival OF
the flttest. There ~ little question that the sup
ply of doctors tends 10 exceed the demand. II
is not difficult 20 lind communities with such
plumbers Of medical practitioners as would be-
justified and could he kept busy only In times
Of widespread Epidemic OF course, they cannot
all make decent living. The remedy is for the
medical colleges to lengthen their courses Of
. study and raise their requirements for sradus-