The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-03-26
DENTISTS
Extortionate Fees Asserted to BE On.
common In the Profession.

common In the Profession.
1t is ordinarily supposed that as a
rule high charges are seldom made by
the members of the dental profession
for their services. The dentists them.
selves maintain hat this superstition is
entirely correct. They say that big fees
for professional services go to the law
yers and physicians, and that they sell
dom receive sums commensurate with
their services when compared with the
services and pay of the members OF
the two professions mentioned. One
of the oldest and best known dentists
in Chicago said the other day that
dentists die younger than any other
professional men. This fact, which he
said vas statistical, he said was due to
the severe nervous strain under which
the dentists work. For this reason il
was contended that the dentists are q
class paid less than they should be and
that large fees and those which could
be called eXtortionate were heard of
very infrequently.
Although the dentists may not get
as large fees or get them as often as the
lawyers, surgeons and physicians, they
nevertheless make some charges once in
awhile that take away the breath of the
patients. Some time ago n dentist
achieved considerable ~notoriety by
charging n wealthy South American
$1,000 for filling nine teeth. The South
American was no easy victim, even il
he did come from the wrong side of the
equator, and he proceeded to give the
dentist n tussle in the courts. The dent
ist brought in an itemized bill that was
characterized by more nerve than any
suffering man ever thought he had in
an aching tooth. This bill was such a
wonder that it was straightway passed
into the archives of dentistry as the
most remarkable dental document ever
produced. Among other things in the
itemized bill was a $50 charge for the
use of a gold-plated cuspidor. There
were a number of other almost equally
ridiculous items in the bill. There wa
quite a little fight over the bill, which
in the end was cut down several thou
sand dollars.
"IIl tell you how m man got even
with a dentist who overchargcd him."
said a State street doctor. The dentist
sent to the man Il bill for $50 for some
work he had lone for the mans daugh-
ter. The victim thought the bill seemed
pretty large for the work that had been
done. so he showed the bill to another
dentist, who was thoroughly compe-
tent hit who lid not make n practice
of overcharging, and asked him what
would have been a fair price for the
work. The dentist said he would have
been glad to do the job for S25 or $50.
The manthoughtof goingtolawoverthe
affair, but concluded it was not worth
giving the man a long, hard, disagree
able task in getting his money. Alaw-
yer advised him that if he gave the col
lector a little something on account
every time he came around, the dentist
could not do him 10y legal damage.
Then the man determined on his course.
Every time the collector came to his
place of business he gave him a quarter
of a dollar on the bill. and made the col
lector give him a receipt. He kept that
thing up until he drove both the collect
or and the dentist half crazy. Finally
the dentist said he would knock off SIS
if the man would pay the remainder of
the bill. The man who had been over
charged laughed in his sleeve and paid
the rest of the reduced bill."IChicagC
Chronicle.