The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-22
THE HOSPITAL OR CLINIC
OBSESSION

Last March an editor told us here
Just how much 1t had cost her to
have her third baby. Her old family
doctor charged $35 for his services
Including all prenatal care, attendance
III confinement and after-care. Then
she had q nurse for two weeks at $35
q week-a graduate nurse and q
grand gal. though not Registered. The
nurse had the o. k. Of the doctor,
however. The things the doctor adj
vised the editor to have ready cost
s2a4 at the local drugstore-the edi-
tor. having brains, lives in q subur-
ban village and commutes to her
work. Her friends donated clothes,
all in jolly friendly way-some new
articles, some caSt-0ffs outgrown by
their own children-but the editor
lad to part with IS cents for two
shirts for the layette. She says all
three Of her babies have been pur-
chased on this same easy payment
plan and she intends to stick to the
system for the next three.
Gosh, like to listen to that editors
talk. It acts liks antitoxin. A doctor
In practice can manage somehow to
keep In mind the fact that the world
is not so sordid or 50 ugly as 1t may
appear to his professional eye. But
| am conducting health column and
it sickens me to find that the most
frequent question asked by those con-
templating marriage or recently mar
ried is about birth control"
The editors report of her success
full system brought In many letters
about the hardships Of paying for
1888 model baby.
I gather that people take it as a
hardship mainly because nobody who
can get out Of 1t is doing it; whereas
paying for the family chariot is not
so hard because everybody's doing it.
One prospective mother who had
BORNE two children without difficulty,
had ben Told" 1t would go hard
with her this time because she is now
nearly forty. That's just one Of those
old traditions. So this time she de-
cided to 60 to q hospital, a so-called
free hospital. She says she was kept
waiting 81 hours, and then, having
passed through six officials, she was.
curtly informed that she must pay $65
in installmcnts, ten dollars cash down,
and the doctor advised her she
shouldn't have the baby II finances
were uncertain. -.
Well, why did the lady flock to the
hospital or clinic along with the rest
Of the sheep? II she had been in
America long enough to speak and
write the language she ought to know
that doctor who is really good prac-
tlces under his own name, not under
the name Of hospital, clinic, associa-
ton. corporation or institute. She
ought to know, too, that these "free"
or cutrate "clinics'' and the like are
rackets-schemes whereby q group Of
doctors who can't make q 60 Of it In
private practice and under methods
Of fair competition, 60 into huddle.
take name that impresses the peas
ants. and attract . certain amount
Of business on the wholesale basis.
Finally she ought to know that stu.
dents interns, tyro doctors, have 70
Get their experience serving a. 6.
sistants O. members Of the staff IA
such institutions. These apprentices
usually assume more or less Of the
responsibilities Of physicians and
surgeons, but are paid perhaps $25
, month by the institution. Likewise
the probationer or pupil nurses. Is It
any wonder such an institution can
dA1ivAr = hahv after = fashinn AZ
slch Z bargain price?