The sun., 1909-05-30
PHYSICIANS INCOMES LESS
VARIOUS REASONS FOR THE
DROP, SAY TIE DOCTORS.

DROP, SAY THE DOCTORS.
They Lay II TO the Increase In Outdoor IA,.
the Greater Number or Emope.n
Trips, Even to Christian Science. br,
Not to Higher ---> fer Vlatins.
II was only year or two ago ths,
certain physicians Of New York suoceeded
In making the average fec for attendance
SS visit. For the first visit double tina,
sum Is now charged. They arc able even
to establish q cash practice, that is to sav
they expect the IS to be paid when the
patient leaves the office.
Yet after this material progress had beam
achieved there came q slump which the
doctors Of New York are just now feelins
very severely. Ask any New York doctor
how his earnings In the Last two YEAR,
compared with the preceding two and
the chances are that he will say tha,
his earnings have fallen OF from 20 to sn
per cent. Various causes are assigned
for this decline in tho business Of physi.
clans OF established reputation. but not
one Of them seems to know exactly what
has brought about the diminished demand
for his services.
There can be no doubt one Of them
said the other day to Sun reporter.
that the disposition to save money has
had something to do with the lsesened
practice but the time for the worst OF
that should have passed. Yet we ar.
feeling this lack Of patronage moro Just
now than We did two years ago. and the
last winter was more unsatisfactory than
the winter that preceded 1t. 1t may be that
there are more doctors. ! often think
that the patronage now has to be divided
among too many. Yet 1t Is difficult 10
understand why We should have begun to
feel this composition 60 suddenly. The
great increase OF doctors Ia not thing
OF the last two years. Now, I'm doctor
Of considerable standing In New York,
yet during the last year my practice has
taken on what ! can only call very nasty
look for me financially. and In the Or
dinary course OF affairs should Just now
be enjoying constant increase instead Of
wondering how 1t happens that my pa
tients are dropping OF every weak
Another doctor u inclined to blame
European travel to some extent, Hs
thinks that the practice OF yearly tripa
hurts practice in general and Is sure Il
has had an effect on his. &C.,.
4 used to have q number Of pahents.'
he said, who came regularly to me
for treatment. They got into the
habit OF going abroad to Carlsbad or
como other spa in Europe. II thsy are
there-and. tho majority Of
then sre-thsy arc very likely to return.
Tho doctor they have there tells than TO
como back and In the meantime to do this
or that which he prescibes for them.
Tho result II that they wait for treat
ment until they 20 back to tho springs
which benehted them before.
Then the motors have undeniably.
bad. an effect on our practice. People
arc kept in the open air . great deal
more than they used to be. They bene-
it from that, and persons who never
NAV what n vaa 70 eot ont OF doors
- .r.nd 49,. :, ths .;r That h.s
aoW epo"o nouis IA .o0 ina' "as
helped health ana damanisned sickness
lsnonS persons who used to be our
most profitable patients
~ .--I ~.
ooceor "as uno improved o@To tna' NC"
Yorkers take Of themselves, -....
Men who know that they will have
uout II thev eat mAat or sveets or women
rho know that their nos win eet red
~ A"o. s.'ss s'.'t no wiz s0' ieu
y tney drink cnampasne no longer %
The things that will disagree with them.
Half the people you meet nowadays
ara IN sorne hind Of n dat "A n result
- =. - 80, i..-.s -. 49,.
u .@' ~ o,'oy iA"ve 'ooan ooouI 'no',
health. Ihey vo stopped eating TINS ana
that, and consequently they
don't ret sick as thew used to. While
,..nh 4. not r.rbsn. auob . fsd a., n
- A.. ;...i,;.S. -. -, 81
iseo 70 oe' the inteineeht stuoy oi ue"
OWN needs 10 much more common in the
,ase OF men and women than it used to
IA Tbev ara doing things TO themselves
n.t.od =, ,oir. hsct to IN. doc,or onca
iis'oeo " so,"e oeoH W 'ne uoooo. onoe
40 mas TOLD them what was necessary
This Is especially true Of the younger
They have not inherited
he tendency TO 60 to the doctor at the
Inst intimation OF anything wrong that
heir ancestors possessed. II he has
already told them what 1t is that causes
heir poor health they remove the cause
md don't continue to nourish that and
70. to tho doctor simultaneously, as the
'lder generation used to do
nat Christian science: new Lnouen.;
aheraPenecs have nad tnefr mnuenoe ~