New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-08
PARIS PHYSICIANS CODE.
H,,s Accordiag TO Ability of Patients
"a Pay-Hust Write Clearly.
Paris. April %.

PARIS ApEil ID.
,...,s.-ai,le agitation prevails among French
.,.,c,aus n regard 10 professional ell
e.te n the last year practitioners ana IN
.,,ors OF patent medicines ana htalhble
-" organized 'toarnees" or perloolca pro-
.,,c.ai tours heraldea in Advance py naming
.,st,rs and advertisements. DIS. ~ Il ana
started forth "on the road" as IL Were AAs
ar.o-s announcing the.r arrivals at GER
.,n towns at given dates. end inVitlhg al me
o., o,s ,,e-no % the locality TO flock 20 them
"a - car,e These self-styled physicians do
=, belong 20 the faculty OF Paris, but they
,os.s on pubnc confidence and greatly an
- me regular medical men. This outburst
!, o,sy,stanisra has now been dealt with by
--,,syt treasures In the midst OF the faculty
80 bowerar. bitter disputes arose IN regard
= -o,+..rs OF professional custom and usage
:, ,rsar 70 straighten out matters, a general
.,.-,h,v If the faculty OF Paris was held last
or,s with the result that CODE OF profess
so-.i s.iorette has row for the hrst time been
-, IN In legal form, has been approved by
-. faculty. and IN future ell medical stu
E,o,s mon the reception OF their degrees will
), r.y,,red TO conform 10 Its terms.
The new medical code OF professional eti-
,,,e.te regulates the relations between physi-
~.-s themselves and defines their obligations
- their patients and 20 the public The code
-onsis1, OF IL articles. In regard TO profess
sional fess absolute liberty is accorded 10 doc
TORS and patients 10 arrange between them
.slvss whatever terms they please. but on gen.
sraI prluciples practitioners enjoying 'excep-
.,o,ei ranute are authorized 20 charge higher
nr,ces than humble beginners" and the fees
bons lie more substantial FOR patients IN afiiu-
ant circumstances thereby supplying compen-
stations for poor patients, who are often at
tended gratutously This principle is now for
he frs time formally advanced and adopted
7,v the PARIS faculty as one OF the canons OF
professional etiquette. Hereafter wealthy
Americans visiting Paris and requiring medi-
cal attendance VIII probably find their doctors
bills somewhat higher than in former years;
while. on the other hand. penniless American
students in the Latin Quarter viii only be ex-
pected % pay their doctors small fees. in some
cases not higher than five francs or a dollar
Tor several visits. The average price Of medi-
cal visits in Paris is five francs but for visits
when the physician is demanded under the cate
cory OF urgent" the fee Is double. Visits that
last more than an hour also come under the
double Zee class. Physicians are now entitled
10 resort 10 the law courts TO obtain payment
for fees but they can only do so after re-
peated requests for payment and not until the
amounts Of their hills have been verified by
arbitration Of committee OF members OF the
faculty. The habit OF dividing fees between
attending physicians and surgeons. specialists
or dentists Is forbidden. In 10 case can a
member Of the faculty draw upon a patient for
payment through a banker. Doctors are not
required to keep books Of accounts, or even
lists OF their patients OF their medical visits.
No member Of the faculty can take pecuniary
interest in any commercial or Industrial enter
prise having for its object the manufacture
preparation or sale Of patent medicines, or the
exploitation OF mineral waters The dividing
Of fees or racompenses between physicians and
druggists, between physicians and midwives. or
between physicians and directors OF therapeutic
institutions Of any description is absolutely
prohibited. Any member OF the faculty found
fuiity OF entering into pecuuIary participation
n the profits Of hotels. water or air cure re-
sorts, etc, viii be forthwith dropped from the
rolls OF the profession 40 member OF the
faculty is permitted 10 publish articles in the
newspapers with view Of inviting publicity
10 any pharmaceutical preparation or special
method OF treatment Professional advertise
ment Of every description is forbidden All
members Of the faculty are warned against
making professional visits when 1t is not abso-
lutely necessary 10 do so. and this regulation
applies also ito wealthy patients"
members OF the faculty are especially en-
joined, when making visits TO women and girls.
T" require whenever possible that a female
relative or friend be present during such physl-
cal examinations as may be deemed advisable.
During consultations no physicians should
blame colleague In the presence Of a patient
:" OF q member 81 the patients family, or OF
Z layman. Objections Ia tbe original trea+r,o,.
must be made confdentiauy between profess
Aona. colleagues. No hint involving blame or
couot as 10 the accuracy Of a diagnosis made
W colleague should ever be uttered I'm The
nearing o. any iaynan by physician called in
consultation
-'1~'sF cearness in writing prescriptions IS
~" REQUIRED. This is partly due to case dis
l'Sse OF IN the Paris criminal tribunal this