The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-16
THE cHrNEsE WAY.

tThey do some things differently in China. and in few is the contrast more marked than in their medical practice. Instead of sending for the doctor to make them we'll when they are sick the ceiestials employ him to keep them from getting sick. In other words each family pays doctor an annual salary. and 1t is his duty to look af' ter the health of the family and ad- minister treatment when required.
 Judging by some remarks made at a recent meeting of the National Acade- my of Medicine the Chinese idea seems to be gaining favor here. One of the speak CTS, Dr. Benedict. said: "rhe fear of running up a doctors bill often prevents a poor man from sending for q physician until the disease has got ten beyond the aid of surgery" Every reader. at least if hc is a poor mIn, knows this to be true. He knows that when a member of the family becomes sick there is hesitation and delay about sending for a doctor at the start. and when he comes 1t is frequently the case that the disease has obtained such hold that the doctor cannot save the patient and is often blamed for inabil
 ity to do the impossible.
 That would not be likely to occur under the Chinese plan. Under the l ~y~w ton Traveller. speaking of this arrange ment. there would be many points of advantage. Each family wou d be served by It's own special health officer, When a doctor Is called under the fe } system he goes to the patient in the sick room. and while 1t may be ob- vious that conditions in the house are making for disease. he Is afraid to mention 1t for fear of, losing his client. Under the Chinese system ad applied practically in the United States, the stated intervals to look at the cellar. at the plumbing arrangements. and prevent disease by wiping out its cause. He would preach the advantage of fresh air and open windows at night He would see that one of the children was squintins and prescribe glasses for 1t. Another child showing signs of adenoids would have them removed in time to prevent tubercu- losis. The girl in the high school twitchinE with nervous excitement would be taken out of school before she has a mental and physical break down. Father and mother are exam ined occasionally to find the condi- ton of their arteries. or watch for tendency towards BriKht's disease and in score of ways to prevent disease by catching 1t before 1t staris.'
 This system. as The Traveller says. is used by the Chinese in the United States, and there is a disposition among some of our own people to adopt it. It should be remembered that the doctor gets no pay for services or medicine when a patient is sick. The medieo is paid by the year. and it is his business to keep the men5ers of the family we'll or administer to them when sick; therefore he is watch full and careful of their health. As it IS plainly to his interest to keep them well he Is naturally a sort of mentor and adviser in health. and constantly advises those in whose employ he Is as to the methods they should employ and the rules they should follow in or- der to keep we'll.
 We don't know how this Chinese ar rangement would work, as general thing. among us careless Americans.