The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-17
FRAUDS upon DOCTORS
Schemes Used by Imposters to
Swindie Physicians.
Many of the Perpetrators Are Grad
""tes OF Medical schools, But Bar
rem of Patients Othern Claim
L" he Widows, Sons or the
Daughters of FeIIow-Profe.sionaI

lmposters and their methods were being
discussed when a physician in the COM
pany said: THE men who live by their
wits seem to take particular delight in
doing physicians, and, although this Is
| generally known. we are continually vic
timized The season makes no difference
TO the imposter whose speciality is the
doctor. He comes at all times OF the year
and his call usually costs the Doctor
| something. One CT the all-the-year-roun
imposters is the man who is sure
enough doctor. He was graduated from
| medical school, but is one of the men
who discover soon after their shingles
have been put up that diploma an Of
| fee. and sign on which the Office hours
are noted are not all that is requisite for
the practice Of medicine These men
| move several times, each office being a
little cheaper than the last. then they
complain to their friends about the mum
Der Of physicians. the lack of sympathy
Tor young men on the part of the older
practitioners. and the difficulty in holding
patients against established competitors
Finally they disappear from the scene.
and in many instances where they do not
begin work in some field for which they
are better suited they appear again as
bum Doctors They come to physicians
with their tales of woe, and will take any
thing. from sympathy to a quarter.
Then we have the man who has a
snattering Of medical knowledge, who
knows the names OF instruments, rene
dies, and a few medical terms, and can
speak of specialists in other parts Of the
country, but who is no physician at all.
This man usually wants few dollars to
help him along while he and his large
family must remain in town. He comes
from a distant part of the country. he
usually says. He came to New York to
begin the practice of his profession, but
learned that he must have Regents IL
cense, and can earn nothing until he has
appeared before the board which does not
meet for some time. He goes from one
doctors Office to another, and often col
lects considerable money for his mythical
family before the fraud is discovered
people representing themselves as
widows. sons or daughters Of doctors also
form an important contingent in the army
about these is that they often come again
after the: have been turned away as
swindlers because they think a doctor
easy and slow to report them.
Besides these imposters, whose stock
in trade is a knowledge of medicine and
the ways of medical men, we have to
stand off an army of everyday swindlers.
The sneak thief who comes to a physi-
clans Office an hour before the Doctors
firv, III
too i'll to leave, or too nervous about his
wife's condition or too anxious TO report
about sick child-often carries away an
overcoat or case of instruments; or IL
these are beyond his reach a cane. an TIM
brella or the magazines on the centre
table will do
Another doctor in the party said: 'eI
had an experience the other day which 1
thought brand new thing in the imposter
line until l related it to some of my
friends in the profession. who laughed at
me and told me it was an old, old trick
A young, well dressed man called just as
my consultation hour was over, excused
himself for disturbing me. but said he felt
justified because his uncle, Dr. Iilwill, in
the same street a few doors away, vas my
intimate friend. His uncle had been called
out of town, he said. and he had 20 pay q
C. o. D. bill. There was no one at home,
and would 1 accommodate him with so
for few hours? Awfully sorry to bother
me, and so kind of me, and so On. Well,
I looked him over, said all right, told him
to sit down till got my poeketbook rom
the next room. closed the door and
telephoned TO DR.. Illwills Office. and
learned that he had not gone out q town.
The polite nephew must have heard the
telephone he'll or suspected some thing fer
he was gone when l came back to the
waiting room. and l felt that l had been
spared when l found everything safe on
the hatrack."
Yes, they go long way around to beat
a DOCTOR sasid the man who had started
the conversation, land what makes me
ansry is that they take us for fools. Last
summer, when there was horseracing
somewhere near New York. man came
to me one evening and said that he was
deeply interested in a jockey who was i'll.
but whose ailment did not necessitate con-
finement to the house. He's got TO be
in good trim to ride WE'LL he said and
I'd like to have him fixed up. Will you at
tend to him if l send him in? Certainly
l said. send him along. and I will see
what can be done for the young man.
Then the man told me lot of stuff about
and when it was about time
to go he said BY the way, that lad rides
to win tomorrow. He's got dead sure
thing and II you want to get in on the
game l can nut you on He insinuated
that few hundred dollars invested with
him would bring a quick and handsome re-
turn. / told him that l preferred to make
my living by my profession and he went
away without any of my money.
Il remembered the name of the borse,-
and looked the thing up. and. sure enough,
that horse won the race and paid some
thing like ten or fifteen to one in the
betting circle. But the jockey who was to
b my patient never came, and / have no
doubt that the whole story was manufac-
tured for the purpose of getting my
money. which might have been used at
the racetraek. but not for my account"
Then the doctors told stories about per-
SONS who masquerade as instrument
makers inventors of operating chairs, new
remedies. men and people who want IN.
formation scientific subjects for the
purpose OF swindling the unsusuecting
loctor. and the stories were so numerous
hat it was agreed that the doctor in Il
large city is the particular prey OF the
York Tribune.
The Eagle and the Sparrow.
From the New York Worldly
An Eagle on his lofty perch on Liberty