A DEARTH OF DOCTORS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 5

A DEARTH OF DOCTORS.

.. •■■ ,~ • ■. •' USELESS COUNTRY APPEALS. There is a dearth of doctors in the country towns of the Dominion. Tho head of a local ( professional agoncy informed ono of our reporters yesterday .that in a little over six months he had' received a' dozen applications for doetors to be sent to smaller towns in both-islands, and iu only two cases had it been Jound possible to fulfil tho request. Most of the applications woro from lodges, and had rcferonco to townships in ■ which tho solo doctor .at present was considered to bo. so overworked that prompt attention to lodge cases was not possible on his part. In other found for eighteen miles. 'Practices worth tricts in which there was no doctor to bo found for eighteen mles. < .Practices worth £400 and £500 were generally assured, but doctors coming to Now Zealand would not look at these. Tho wholo tendency of the profession was to crowd into the cities, whero practices of £1000 and £1500 a year woro said to ;bo quite common, 'and practices of over. £2000 not unknown, and there were even, instances in which residential doctors could not bo obtairited for large suburban districts. " If five hundred new doctors were to land hero to-morrow, in two months' time/they might bo all settled down in 'the Dominion and. making comfortable' livelihoods." JThat would be a happy prospect for tho country population, who will doubtless have to wait much longer for relief. ' / > ■ According,to this authority, dentists have tho same strong preference for a city life, with much less reason. Many young dentists, it is urged, are waiting in vain for city clients, while they would be beset with applications for tho easo of aching jaws; if only thoy would move to pountry towns. The chemist is less stationary in his disposition. Ho is willing to establish himself anywhere,' provided that a satisfactory paying business is assured.'