Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-01
Money Makes the Mare Go!
Also Some Other Tkinqs
Wall Street Journal. :

There are three religious organizations in the
| world whose business bases today the envy
of all their rivals for their financial organizations
are nearly perfect. These are the Roman Catho-
lie church, Christian Science and Billy" Sum-
days organization. Law and medicine will be
greater successes when financially organized
greater successes for the profession and for client
and patient.
1t is, therefore, with qualification we note
what will surprise most medical practitioners that
the famous Mayo brothers of Rochester, MINI,
have now reached an income basis Of 100000 a
month.
The work, of course, is not accomplished alone
by two surgeons, however great their skill. They
have twelve assistants of the highest medical and
surgical ability. But they permit no patient to
set price upon the services of their institution
Z. H. Hartman had not enough money to
induce them to leave their hospital and attend
him in New York; and James ]. Hill was not
permitted to say as to how much he was to be
charged.
Some years ago Hill arrived at Rochester in
his private carr and sent for the Mayo brothers
and received reply that his would be attended
to at the hospital. He stormed as he left his
private car and wended his way thither and
stormed again when he found himself taken in
hand by assistants who diagnosed his case and
made engagement for his return at specified
hour several days later. When he had been fully
attended to- this masterful man thought himself
still master of the situation and writing polite
note Oh appreciation, ne enclosed MS CheCk tor
$4,000 to the Mayo brothers. The note, how
ever, was no potter than that which came back
returning the check and noting that in due season
bill would be sent him.
What was his surprise to receive bill some
time later for $4,000, which, of course, he paid
and then endeavored to find out on what basis
the Mayo brothers made charges .'
II his inquiry went far enough he could have
learned that their system was neither hit miss
in surgery or in finance; that in the case of
major operation a mans pocketbook was more
carefully scanned by organized system than
it would be under the investigations of the town
tax assessors.
Mr.. Hill would have discovered that after
making reasonable deductions the charge for
successful maj or operation was 10 per cent of
the patients income for one year. Indeed his
life was valued according to his own work and
the life saver system called itself entitled to
1.-THE of his income for one year.
While Mr.. Hill was fussing over his bill and
his inability to dictate the situation, poor woman
visited the hospital with the meager savings of
her life represented in the bank book she carried
This she volunteered as all she had The Mayo
brothers gave her every personal attention, ex-
planned the dangers of her case, and was she
willing to accept the result Of the hazard of the
surgeons knife? She assented; the operation was
successful and at the end of several weeks she
was sent home cured. She had desired to know
the sum of her indebtedness for her board, which
she would attempt some day to pay.
The response was Just as polite as to Mr. Hill:
Madam, here is your bank book and check for
$780, You owe us nothing By your consent we
experimented upon you. 1t was successful and
we consider ourselves and even medical science
indebted to you" -