New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-30
Doctors Glass
Fixing Of Fees
With Dry Law
Johns Hopkins Trustees Are
Accused of Attempting to
Create Nationwide Leuis-
lation of Prohibition TYNE
Personal Rights Involved
Physicians Experience and
Study Not Considered in
Rates Set, Says DIR. Evans

NILS IosPlCai, IN Baltimore, in issuing
dictum that no surgeon should charge
more than $1,000 for an operation and
that no physician should receive more
than $35 per week for attending a
patient in hospital, have called from
many of the prominent members of
New York's medical profession the &C.
cusation of attempting to create legis~
lation of the prohibition type.
New York representatives Of the pro-
fession are unanimous in Genounc;nr
the attempt to fix prices for them and
at the insinuation against the members
Of the profession contained in the
"dictum"
DR.. Evans M Evans, n leader among
Americas physicians, said "Johns
Hopkins has been fiattcred by imita-
ton. 1t will spread moderately. And
the profession will get back to normal.
This move on the part of the hos
pital trustees is bound to contain an
immense popular appeal, but it has
the weakness of all legislation where
there is an attempt to fix prices that
are to obtain under variable condi-
same general move to legislate against
personal rights as prohibition.
"A thousand dollars is q high charge
for an operation, if that operation is
considered singly. But one must con-
slider that in an immense percentage of
cases the fee is far below that figure.
The small percentage of cases that
comes to a doctor where he can charge
large fee no more than Offset the
ether cases and pay the doctor for the
tremendous amount of. study and ex-
perience that lie back of his work.
"Such matter as setting prices be-
tween doctors and patients does not
come under the jurisdiction of board
of trustees of any hospital, and it
would be bound to result in cases that
wore not equitabls to the doctor. 1t is
matter of established fact that doc
tors are as humane as, if not more so,
than the members of any other pro-
fession, and that they will make their
fees commensurate with the patients
ability to pay"
Charles B. Grimshaw, superintendent
of Roosevelt HOSPITAL and the dean Of
New York's hospital superintendent,
gays that if Johns Hopkins persists in
this attitude it will find that it lis train
ing good many men for other hos
pitfalls.
Graduation Of Fees Urged
~ believe that ali doctors should
graduate their fees to accord with the
ability of the patient to pay" Mr..
Grinshaw added.
Dr. James l. Russell, the surgeon
who operated on Payne whitney re-
Gently, declared that among the best
surgeons there were thirty operations
performed for fees under $500 to every
one bringing fee greater than $1,000.
In his opinion no doctor should ever
charge fee that would be hardship
to the patient.
DR.. Rolfe Floyd, in discussing the
Johns Hopkins move, declared that he
did not believe in labor unlonism.
"The matter of fees should be settled
entirely between doctor and patient"
he declared. 81 don't believe that any
one should say that $1,000 will cover
surgeons services in any case.
Diagnosis Big Problem
"Then, in regard to the maximum of
$50 per week FOR physicians, I feel
that there is already too great
and physicians. Thirty-fve dollars per
week is plenty in the case OF patient
with tonsilits or some such ailment. but
it is not enough in cases whore difficult
diagnoses are required. 1t is often as
important and as difficult to diagnose
a case as it is to perform the opera
ton which the diagnosis calls for, and
it requires quite as much study, ex
perience and skill.
DR.. Guilford S. Dudley, Of Bellevue,
branded the Johns Hopkins move as a
scheme for advertising purposes,
which would attract persons from ali
over America. The Mayo brothers,
who have been paid some Of the high
est fees in medical history, he pointed
out, make an investigation of pa
TENTS income, and charges him a per-
centage.
The one dissenting opinion found
among New York medical men came
from DR.. A. ]. B. Savage, superin-
tendent of Broad Street Hospital, who
declared the Johns Hopkins ruling to
be absolutely right" According to
DR.. Savage, he put the same rule into
effect in his hospital a year and
half ago. and it has been a complete
success.