The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-04-07
TRIED THE CHINESE WAY.
,nld His Doctor Only When Wen, But
the Plan Had Its Draw
backs.


''The Chinese system of paying their
physicians while the patient keeps well
and shutting off the salary when he
gets sick always struck me as being
singularly sensible said one of the
tenants of a big office building the
other day, says the New Orleans Times
Democrat. "You see, it gives doctor
every incentive TO make an unayoid-
able illness as brief as possible, while
our method of paying while we are
disabled offers just the opposite in
ducement. OF course, / don't mean to
say that any reputable practitioner
would deliberately keep u patient laid
up for the sake Of his fee, but the temp
tation is certainly mighty strong, and
last New Years. after settling whop-
ping big bill for the preceding quar-
ter. / made up my mind to give the
Chinese method a triall-just as an IN
teresting experiment.
II was afraid 10 make the PROPOSE
ton 10 my regular physician, who's
very seiff-necked oid-timer, and would
probably have Drained inc with Il steth-
oscope under the impression that
was inpugning his honor, sol hunted
up very earnest, able young doctor
whom knew to be struggling hard to
get foothold, and laid the scheme
before him. I'm in delicate health,
I said, and your profession generally
gets a good deal of my money from one
years end to another, besides penning
me up in bed and preventing me from
attending to business. Now, I'll give
You $3.50 d month as long as you keep
me well. II | get sick your pay stops
until I'm up again. He thought
moment, and accepted"
well, how did it turn out?" asked
one of the group of listeners.
"I'm just coming to that, replied the
speaker. aFor a week or so it worked
all right. The doctor dropped in once
or twice to look me over casually, and
I had pleasant feeling that some one
was vitally interested in seeing that /
kept well. Then came the first unpleas-
ant experience. We had a rainy day,
and 4 was hurrying up Canal street
toward the Office when a man suddenly
pounced on me and dragged me into
hallway. II was the doctor. Good
heavensf' he fairly yelled. where are
your rubbers?' 4 dom know /
stammered, startled hals out Of my
wits. Then give me the money to
buy you a pair at once he said, 'or
you'll be down with pneumonia. and
I'll lose whole months wages He
was so fierce that l shelled out and
missed several important engagements
while / waited.
"a few nights afterward 1 was quietly
eating n rum omelette in restaurant,
when who should rush up put that
same confounded doctor. Rum ONE
lette!" he gasped, turning pale as
death. why man alivel do you want
to take the bread right out of my
MOUTH and with that he grabbed
the ornelette and ordered me some tea
and toast. 'Your digestive organs are
very sensitive he said, and an at
tack of gastritis would mean eight or
ten dollars out Of my pocket. I'm a
poor man. said he. and l can't af-
ford to take such chances. 1t " Juldn't
be just to my family
"Iate the tea and toast, which 1 abom
mate. and began TO wonder whether
the Chinese system was quite as much
of cinch as 1t seemed al long range.
Well, won't bore you with all the
details, but I give you my word that
for the next two weeks suffered mar
fyrdom. That internal doctor was
continually bobbing up at unexpected
places, determined to keep me well or
perish 10 the attempt. At last he passed /
the limit. was at tbe tbeater with /
a party Of friends, and by some hor- /
rible fatality be was sitting in the next |
row. lie kept shifting about uneas-
ily. and finally. right in the midst OF
the performance. he leaned over and /
whispered hoarscly: Say. did you re-
member 70 put on your chest pro-
tectorg Everybody near us Uttered,