The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-05-13
Doc" An Unsunp Samaritan.

trip and get away from business for
a while. He explained that he could
not leave his practice, that it kept him
busy and that he had to have all of it in
order to get along. He couldn't take
the chance of leaving it to care for
itself. Some other fellow might be call
ed to half dozen or more Of his fami-
lies in emergency and by possibility
annex to or three of them. Then too,
he needed the money and beyond that
the average physician with the average
practice usually has case that he
ought not to leave.
"Doc," in his automobile, and fur coat
looks the pink of prosperity and this is
one Of the places where the eye de-
ceives US. Generally he isn't rolling in
wealth or piliDg up treasures in the
bank, and mortgages and farms to the
extent we imagine. In these days he
needs the auto and must have it. Every
sick call is hurry call. If he has wor-
ries he has learned to control them and
conceal them for his face must carry
tho hope that comes with him to the
bedside. Financial difficulties do not
press upon him as upon some men for
the best doctor is generally the poorest
business man. He has cultivated OPP
timism. He had to or get out of the
profession that sees more hearts break
than all other lines Of human endeavor.
He applies to himself the philosophy
and stoiscism learned of the suffering
and sorrow of others and stakes his
medicine" about as bravelv as any man
in the world. He works hard and in
comparison to the Importance and re
sponsibility and burden of his labor is
the worst paid man in the professions.
He has come to accept this philosophi-
cally. Sometimes when he meets in
medical societies and repeats with
others the story Of his wrongs he goes
up town mad and sues some fellow who
is able to pay and won't and who has
owed him for decade. But this is
sporadic. 1t isn't even contagious and
never gets epidemic. It's like an
isolated case of variola, just breaking
out and doesn't spread.
The average doctor is an unsung Sa-
marian. He rarely passes by on the
other side. Stokes may be dissolute, vile,
lazy, unfit to feed to alligators; so far as
Stokes himself, is concerned "Doc''
would write his death certificate with
satisfaction and content. But when
Stokes decent wife calls over the
phone and tells "Doc" that the buby is
sick and says: "Doc, know you never
get paid but what am to do?' the
physician begins to peel his paiamas
and get ready to tramp ten blocks at
midnight down to Stokes and he may
pass Stokes drunk as he goes on his
way. Every physician has his quota Of
poor and deserving and his other quota
of poor and undeserving that he stakes
care of, from whom he never gets dol
lar, from whom he never expects dol
lar, and best of all doesn't care whether
he ever gets a cent or not. If the
books of the physicians in the city
of Leon might be published they
would furnish the records of great
charity, charity that would overbal-
ance all the rest and that fell like the
gentle dew from heaven, silent, sweet
and revivifying. No clamor of brass
and clash of cymsals accompanies this
marvellous charity. And the men who
offer it make little account of its mag
nitude. 1t was always the doctors
way. And while it remains his way
true charity that suffereth long and is
kind will not have faded from earth.
DocCocs rarely gov rlcn CnouSn Uney
earn fortunes; they rarely take vaca-
tions though they work hard and some
of the reasons are obvious.
i When the accounts of good and evil
are drawn on the day of final settlement
Doc will collect. It's long time to
wait but we are assured that the pay is
certain and the investment absolutely
safe. In the final clearing house if any
ones paper is honored higher than
another "Doc's' bad and uncollectible
accounts ought to be good as govern
| ment bonds