The Portland daily press., 1899-01-24

IL she did not think she was charity
patient"
Mr.. Fnnk-''Supposing she knew the
rules and knew she must pay when he
found out that she had money TO pay.
Surprising she came here under such cir.
cumstances as . charity patient and was
we'll tn do and could payf"
DIR. Bowers-"If she came rs n charity
patient and could pay It was doing a
erent injustice. II they came ne charity
ratients and were not / would consider
that they were doing me n great justice
but should not think it my duty to send
them bill " they came in that way. The
rule Of the institution that oil who can
pay must pay is all right, but the rule
| does not say who shall collect the money
for the services and 10 doesn't say which
one Of the hospital staff shall appropri-
| ate IL. 1t makes IL possible for one mem
Der of the staff to collect bills which the
other members Of the staff may be as
much entitled to but cannot receive.
Mr.. Frank-"Wouldn't 1t be n natural
inference that tbs person who attended
her should collect the bill for his services. "
DIR. Bowers-"An hospital run in this
way Is In great danger Of being unjussly
criticized and the whole system Is prcju-
dicial to the medical profession"
Then DIR. Bowers and Mr.. Frank dis
cusssd lths rule |. that all must pay
who. can pay as prsoticed in the Massa-
| Oh usetts institutions.
Mr.. Frankie record is kept OF
every charity patient and It afterward
develops that enc patient can pay the
bill for profess ioral services shouldn't
that bill be rendered and the. whole
amount collectedf"
DR.. Bowers-''By whomY
Mr. Frank-"By the one who renders
| those services 7"
DR.. Bowers--''If member OF the sta q
rendered those services here in this insti-
tuition the infrmary should collect the
bill and not a member Of the staff.
Mr.. Erank-"But in this case this
woman came here and asked for DIR. Holt
She was his patient and he so considered
her SO. He charged 500 for professional
services. Was anything wrong about
| thats'
Dr. BOWers-lI ne uiu taat why uiu
he write to her and ask her to tell the
representative Of the legislature how
much had been done for her as n charity
patients"
MIR. Frsnk-"Perhaps DIR. Holt consid-
cred 1t charity he had only charged her
800"
Case G was next considered.
DIR. Bowers read his statement and said
| that the man in this case lived at 40
Burnham street, Portland. Mr.. Frank
cross examined DIR. Bowers about this
case. Mr.. Frank said the mans name
did not appear on the infirmary records
| as charity patient.
DR.. Bowers-''Ot course 1t didn't. He
didn't get there in time for the clinic but
he thought he was a charity patient and
DR.. Holt agreed to treat him without
charge and afterwards charged him."
| MIR. Frank-"You made charges against
DR.. Holt and you are not substantlating
Them"
DIR. Bowers-'I will substantiate them
before l get through"
Mr.. Frank-"You say this man came
here for treatmentf"
Dr. BoweIs-"I WAS told so by him.. !"
Mr.. FranK-"I don't believe he ever
came here"
| Mr.. 4. B. winslow-"Did this man
say he was unwilling to pay -
DR.. Bowers-''He said DIR. Holt agreed
to treat him without charge and then
sent him bill I"
Case ID was the next considered.
In quest Joining DR.. Bowers about the
Miss A. II. mentioned in this case MIR.
Frank asked him II there was any reason
why the patient should not 60 to DR.. Holt
for glasses and why he should not sell
her glasses. DIR. Bowers said the very
fact that DR.. Holt was protiting from
the infirmary by reason Of his official po-
sition would endanger the institution
Providing q schedule Of prices was agreed
upon for the charging OF various glasses
to charity PATIENTS IL would be ell right.
but In the way 10 is done now consider
the system entirely wrong. 1t Is rare
thing for glasses of any kind to cost
more than %.
| INV II shO fobAVAs' Nv
manded gold bowed glassesS"
| DIR. Bowers-"I have had patients come
! to me as charity patients who wore gold
watches and seal skin sacks but II l
thought they were able to pay told them
SO before treated them. II were In a
clinic and such patients found their way
into the clinic should not consider 1t
my business to profit by treating them II
| I should afterwards find out they were
we'll to do. 1t is the office where the well
to do patients should be separated from
| the charity patients.
MIR. Looney said he did not think it best
to pursue this questioning much further
along this line and SO the next case "E'
was taken up.
Case K took up but little time, Mr.
Frank asking DIR. Bowers about the cost
of glasses, etc. Mir. Frank said that this