The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-03-01
Editorial Comment
Doctors Are Scarceh the Country
(New York Times)

a problem much discussed in the medical jour
nails Of late years has been "the passing Of the
country doctor" This is particularly important
one for many rural communities. The old country
doctor is dying off, and the occasional young grad
uatc who tries to take his place finds that he can
| not make enough money to be reasonable, o:
even a decent, reward for the many years it has
taken him to get his education. He finds, too that
the country people no longer are content with the
| services CT man who attends, or tries to at
tend, to patients Of all sorts. The sufferer goes
| to the nearest city hospital =
| This state of affairs accounts in some measure
for the often dcplored drift cityward," and the
villages in all parts Of tho country arc almost as
much deprived of medical services as were the
isolated colonists CT the early days. Such, until
recently was the situation in Altura, MIMI, vii
lage IF about $50 inhabitants and 200 farmer FAM
| lilies within few miles. The nearest doctor was
ten miles way. and that is far when a Minnesota
blizzard has blocked the roads.
| 1t appears that the Aturians decided to have Il
doctor, and good one, Of their own. They formed
Health Association, and after asking advice from
| the Mayos and Others including the American
Medical Association, they advertised in medical
journal, telling who and what they were and max
ing four offers to- the sort of they needed The
first guaranteed him the patronage of 1876 families
but the doctor to practice on fec basis and
only when his receipts fell below $4,000 the
association to be assessed for the remainder the
third was promise to-secure as many families At
$24 year possible, who should have first claim
but the doctor free for outside practice; and
the fourth without guarantee, the association
| acting only as advisers.
| Another stipulation made by the Alturians was
that their doctor should take over and run their
drug store. For the position thus offered there
| were fifteen applications The man finally chosen
after careful investigation CT his references decided
to serve under the third plan, and he and his family
live over the drug store.
Membership in the association is on the basis of
| the family unit, with each hired man paying Sc
| instead Of $2i More is expected Of the doctor
| however, than attendance in cases Of illness. He
is to keep people well, as we'll as cure them. H.
gives each subscriber two thorough examinations
each year, and he watches the sanitary conditions
| around each home we'll as in the village as a
whole.
It will take time to decide how this plan works
but with just the right man as doctor, able to get
the confidence and obedience Of the villagers, il
ought to be big success. 1t assures respectable
income for this particular country doctor, and cheap
~ well as efficient service for his clients. The
Ter never vlllmpks great fortune II he rem1lin
III Aitura, but hls b not "dead-end job" for ~
that and the people Of Altura certainly are Of m1t
than ordinary intelligence in that they already
leeps to RDelzs that The pressryet:aa IS
@ RI -