Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-01-09
A PROTEST.
Editor Alma Record

Editor Alma Record
Dear Sr:-There appeared in last
weeks issue of this paper a state
ment, signed by several physicians,
myself included, announcing increas-
ed fees for the future. | gave my
signature to this statement while un-
der the impression that certain inn
portant changes which | had sug-
gested, would be incorporated before
its publication. As published, it i'll
becomes the medical profession and
its insertion was most unfortunate.
In the statement the only reason
given for increasing our fees was the
higher price of drugs now compared
with former times Since / do not
wish to insult the intelligence of my
clientele, do my fore-fathcrs in med
icinc dishonor, or forfeit my self
respect, ! must protest.
First.-A careful perusal of drug
catalogues does not disclose the fact
that there has been any increase in
the cost of drugs. In fact exactly
the opposite condition is revealed.
Even granting, for arguments sake.
that there has been an increase i'll
the cost of drugs, | wish to show,
secondly, that this should have no
bearing whatever on medical fees.
Now then, the cost of drugs should
concern the pharmacist rather than
the physician. Pharmacy is the art
of compromising or preparing drugs,
and the duty of the pharmacist is to
compound or prepare the same &C
cording to the directions OF the ply
stefan. Fortunately we are blessed
with three irst-class drug stores.
Such being the case there is no ne
ccssity for a physician becoming a
dispensing pharmacist. Either he
ncglects the one or the other. Of
tentimes both are made to suffer.
My confreres are consOled by feeling
that there are brilliant exceptions to
this somewhat dogmatic statement
and that there are physicians who are
equally skilled in pharmacy and i'll
the healing art. Personally | do not
hope to attain to such proficiency.
simple remedies for emergency use,
more if he prefers to, but it is not
within his province nor is it incum-
bent upon him to stultify himself and
the profession to the extent of max
ing the size OF his drug bills a reason
for asking better fees. A physicians
expenses for drugs should be a COM
paratively small item.
There are reasons. however why
medical fees should advance. Among
them are the increased cost of living,
the cost of a modern medical educa-
ton and physician equipment as
compared with twenty-five years ago.
The rapid increase of knowledge in
the various branches OF medicine and
surgery makes it important that the
physician be a very wide reader, if
he hopes to keep abreast OF the times
This necessitates much expense for
medical journals and periodicals as
well as occasional postgraduate
work After reading the little state
ment announcing the increased fees
one is in doubt whether to weep or
laugh. The impression it gives one
is that doctors are very much like
heap of coal, the individual chunks
varying somewhat in size, but other
wise being very much alike. Ger
tainly it is travesty on the men OF
TIL, medical profession, whose highest
aim is to minimize the very condi-
tons, the existence of which mean
their livelihood.
There never will be and there
never can be uniform medical fees.
There might be such a thing as.
uniform minimum fee but here the
poor upset our good intentions. a
great many factors should determine
a physicians fee. 1t should depend
somewhat upon the time and expense
he has been to in educating him