The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-17


all pull together and back each othei
up in that which is legitimate. W.
may have our honest differences al
to the proper management of certain
cases of sickness, and even be so tho
roly convinced of tae righteousness
of our different positions that we car
not agree at all, but when it comes
to the matter of remuneration for SCI
vices rendered, there should be no dis
agreement. I believe that compare.
lively few bills have ever been pre-
scented wherein the charge was in ex.
cessive proportion to the services re1.
dered, all things considered but in
many instances 1 have known bills
presented wherein the service render
ed was far il excessive proportion to
the bill rendered. When we adopted
our "fee bill" two years ago, we ma1e
a long stride in the right direction.
I am convinced, had it not been for
this step, together with associate acts
the medical profession in Roswell to
day would be in a demoraliZed state.
Then it behooveS us to stick square
to this fee bill". No physician eve
made money by cutting prices. When
he does this in order to get business
it is a plain acknowledgment of his
inferiority as a practitioner. l do not
uating that any of the physicians of
this society are guilty of this habit
on the contrary, l believe the doctors
here are about as free from this
charge as any 1 yer knew. There is
one habit that some men who call
themselves physicians are sometimes
guilty of. 1 do not know that it ap-
plies to any member of this society
I hope it does not. The habit to
which l refer is in putting out "strik-
for sick people or those who may
possibly nee some surgical operation
When this striker finds one of the
above class he makes it convenient to
form his acquaintance if not already
acquainted and ~ingratiate himself
first into his favor, then cautiously
mention his doctor as being the best
in town in tlis particular kind of sick
ness, and finally wind up by suggest
ing that he and his doctor make a So
cial call that the party may get ac-
quainted. The doctor (if such he
might be called) together with his
striker" makes the social call, and
talks to the prospective patient in
technical terms, tells him all about
the germ theory of disease" of the
medical schools he has attended, mar
rates circumstances that happened
during his student days, always max
ing himself the hero, discusses the
merits of the different hospitals with
which he has bee identified, OF the
many surgical operations he has per-
formed in each etc., and so on, and by
these highly unprofessional ways
i1gratiates himself into the favor of
the party. Druggists, some of them,
of whom 1 will have more to say lat
this same unp~rofessional shyster. 1t
1t is a common practice with some
druggists to lay in wait for an oppor-
tunity to steer some stranger up
against some certain doctor, because
the doctor will likely refer mis- pre-
scription to this druggist. 1t is out
of my power to employ English lang
uage severe enough to condemn all
practices. The doctor who will
allow his friend to go this far, much
more to encourage him in this nefar-
Gus work is no better tnan a quack
and a c~harlatan, is unworthy to be
titled doctor" and ought to have his
license revoked. | do not condemn
one for recommending his family ply
stefan to an inquirer, but the one who
goes in where another physician is
in attendance on a case or any mem
Der of the family, or whether he is
in attendance at that particular time
or not, and tries to ingratiate his doc-
tor into their favor to the d~isparage-
ment or otherwise, of the family pny-
stefan, cannot condemn in too de-
mandatory terms. No reputable ply
stefan will allow his friends to do
this with his knowledge, mucn less
will he prompt them to do so. Again
there is another class who take it
upon themselves to pick out some doc
tor(O to pull for. This individual
does so from a m%ercenary motive, ex-
pecting the doctor(?) to r~eciprocate.
He generally selects the doctor(0
VINO is the most unsuccessful practic-
toner in the city, and whether express