The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-23

reasonable laws; but they should no,
be burdened simply because they car
pay and generally viii.
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THE PROFESSIONAL PHILANTHRO-
| PiST.
DR.. Richard C. Cabot, of the Harvard
Medical School, thinks that doctors do
! good. Speaking Friday before gath
| erinS of Baltimore medical men. he
| said that public health work and the
| special campaigns against particular
| diseases were fast making the medical
| practitioner unnecessary, and that
| while medicine was the noblest OF
| professions, it was becoming the
meanest of trades. He was especially
concerned about the growing use OF
free dispensaries by the, public, and
thought it was time to call halt In
the indiscriminate treatment of all
Corners at dispensaries, regardless OF
their ability to pay.
There is a great deal of truth in this
anu ~ tlil tlldl SiiOMS up lue llleulCdl
profession in splendid light Ply
sicians are always working against
themselves. They preach the gospel
of good health in the homes of their
patients; they encourage prophylactic
measures they aid in special cam
paigns against infant mortality, against
diphtheria. against tuberculosis, know
ing that they are reducing the total
amount of sickness in their practice
and thereby reducing their own in
come. Yet they remain the champions
of public health and it's chief defenders
in the press and on the rostrum.
What DIR. Cabot said about the dis
pensary nuisance has a much more i'm
mediate bearing, because while ply
sicians cannot and will not, as public
spirited men, fail to do their part
in stamping out disease, they can re-
fuse to treat at dispensaries persons
who can pay for treatment in their
own homes. AS the dispensaries are
conducted to-day, they are abused to
an extent that is all but incredible.
Knowing that they can get expert
practically no cost, many persons at
tend them who can afford to pay for
the services of a physician The dis
pensary doctors treat them, and. so tic
say. turn away practice from their
own doors OF course. much of the dis
pensary treatment is given to persons
who cannot pay for 1t, and much of
1t would be beneficial as training even
when the persons treated could pay
for 1t. but there are thousands of per-
sons who could be turned away from
the dispensary doors to ring the doc
tors bell.
We Goubt that the same regard for
the public good and the same disregard
any other profession. The lawyers
give their service in some cases, and
men Of other calings do much for
charity. but the doctor who collects
fifty per cent of his bill and does
four hours work daily for charity is
the truest professional philanthropist.
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BLAMING THE MAN WHO EATS.
1t is a dull day that does not bring
some new contribution to the discus
sion of the cost of living. Statistics
come with every mail. and theories are
born with every hour. Good men who
have nothing else to do, and equally
good men Who have a great deal to do
are busily at work trying to discover
Why provisions are SO high. and while
hey are not solving the problem they
ire getting warm, so to say.
When the discussion began the
yiseacres laid down four fundamental
reasons for the high cost of living:
There was too much gold. they said;
here was a decreased production COM
pared With our home consumption;
here was a dabolical tariff that added
10 the cost of every mans living; and,
finally, there We're menopolies which
up prices as far as they could.
Between the four, we were told, the
reason might be discovered.
The discussion has long since passed
this point, and has wandered into dis
tant fields of consumption. production
and exchange which SAVIOR more Of a
text book on Political Economy than
of vital discussion. Even in all this
chaT. however, there are few grains
of reason. One of these relates to
the quantity we eat, and is suggestive,
# not convincing.
According TO statistics furnished by
the economist Mulhall, our meat is
high in America because we eat So
much of 1t. AS our per capita produc-
ion,is not above that of other nations
and as our tariff keeps all forelgnI
supplies from our markets. he thinks
hat we are suffering the i'll effects
which usually follow great demand
md small supply In proof of his
contention that we are the heartiest
,aters in the world, Mulhall cites the
GLOWING figures. giving the per capita
neat consumption OF the great coun.