The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-04-06
DOCTORS In ENGLAND
The scHEMss THEY USE TO GET IN
THE EYE or THE PUBLIC.

shFewd Expedients by which LseFs-
tive Practices Are Acquired and ~
which They Dodge the Rule of the
Profession Against Aavertisins.
A young doctor beginning 10 practice
is terribly handicapped by the rule
under which any medical man who ad.
vertiscs II expelled from the profes.
sion, says the Leeds Mercury. lie
may be an extremely gifted physician
or surgeon, and yet II be has not cap.
itai TO buy practice or interest with
the governors Of some hospitals he
does not succeed In earning enough
during the first few years TO keep
body and soul together
OF course the result Is that all sorts
Of lodges are adopted to evade and de.
feat the rule against advertising II
II well known IN the profession that
reputation and large clientele depend
more on the success with which this IN
accomplished than on real scientific
ability. A celebrated London surgeon
once admitted 10 the writer that be
rose 10 the top Of the tree by getting
into bls carriage several times month
and driving at II terrific pace through
a half dozen streets. Sometimes he va
rted this by forgetting 10 take a neces-
sary instrument when visiting patient
and then sending his driver back for II
hot hastc. Naturally people were much
Impressed by the procedure. believing
that Surgeon H. must be an excellent
surgeon since he was 80 often called TO
desperate cases.
Another London 4Esculaplus owes an
income OF 10000 o year 10 an Ingen-
lous stratagem. on which he risked the
last couple Of hundred pounds he had
In the world. Having very Intelligent
sister who was deslrous OF helping him,
he explained TO her the difficulty Of
making practice by simply putting a
brass plate on the door and hanging
out red lamp and Induced her to be
bis accompllce In what was not far re-
moved frcn fraud Oh the public. Her
part In the plot was TO take a drug
which paralyzed her limbs and gave
her the appearance Of being In the last |
stages OF fatal Illness. Then she was
taken In mn ambulance 10 apartments |
In fashionable west end street, in or
der, 30 10 speak. az forlorn hope. TO
place herself under the care Of DIR. X.
DR.. X, her brother, had meanwhile
.aken rooms in neIghborIng street,
put UP his brass plate aud hired car.
-lage with a spanking pair OF horses.
Three times every day he spent an
hour with the invalid, while the car.
'iage drove up and down the street.
lie cleyerly managed to have II report.
ID that his patient had been given up
Is q hopeless case by all the big med
cal men OF London. At the end OF two
months he had cured her. and patients
'egan TO pour into his waiting room.
But the most successful method Of all
3 to write popular medical book or a
magazine article or even
letter to the daily press. One medical
nan found that religious poem which
. sent without any Interior motives
0 a widely circulated church magazine
roved better than a KlondIke gold
line. II is also known that the best
aging patients are not the really sick,
ut those who imagine they are.
These foolish people devour dictiona.
les Of medicine and medical journals,
nd no one knows this better than the
ushing doctor In fact, the medical
'urnals are more extensively read by
ie laity than by the medical fraternl.
:. aud the doctor who can get clever
rticle published In one OF them Is sure
} draw patients. Letters TO the news.
apers on occasions such as an cpl.
nmlc, the. vivisectlon agitation and
Ie like are equally effective. And no
Dubt they would be more numerous
IT for the curious fact that the study
medicine seems to destroy the power
writing wen.
But probably the best advertisement
doctor can have II 10 be employed In
me cause celebre. This is partly the
lplanation Of the extraordinary spec