DOCTORS AND THEIR FEES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1073, 11 March 1911, Page 3

DOCTORS AND THEIR FEES.

♦ ANECDOTES OF FAMOUS PHY* SI CI ANS. Doctors and their fees have often been llio sul)ject of much controversy and animated discussion, and it may not be uninteresting to recall a few of the stories concerning some physicians who have declined substantial fees—and-of somo who have not.

The famous Dr." Abernethy liad a 1 heart as tender as his tongue was rough, and many stories are told of the kind deeds lie did by stealth. In 0110 case, aiter attending a half-pay officer during a long . illness, he point-blank refused to talco oven the smallest fee. "Wait till • you aro a general," ho said; "then come and see me, and we can talk about fees." In another case, where he had taken feci from'a poor lady for attending her child under the wrong impression that sho was well-to-do, hi) returned thein all, together with a ,£SO note, begging her to spend the money in giving her child a daily ride in the fresh' air jand to a third patient of small means ho said: s "Your recovery will bo.slow. If you feel pain, come again. And, mind, I don't want your money." But with those' who' could afford to pay ho not only insisted on his proper fee, but treat e<l them often with a brusquencss .which was by no means palatable. One good lady, however, was a ma,tell for . him. "I had heard of your rudeness before I came, sir," she said, as she shook the' prescription he handed to her, "but I was not prepared for such treatment. What am I to do with this?" Abernethy snapped out: "Put it in the fire if you please." In a moment the lady iiad put the prescription 011 the fire nnd her fee on the table, and, with a bow, had vanished from the room.

Make the Most of Him. A good story is told of a rich London tailor, who, after gorging himself at cityfeasts, used to worry Dr. Abernethy by consulting him as to the recovery of his digestive powers. The doctor was so wearied by. his applications tliat ho bethought himself of some pretext of getting rid of him. Accordingly lie advised him to go to the country for a time, which the tailor eagerly agreed to do. lie engaged a carriage and four to take him to a distant part of Cornwall m the vicinity of Land's End. Before leaving town lie asked the doctor for a letter of introduction to a good local doctor, which Abernethy duly gave hiiui In tho course of the journey ho became very anxious as to the contents of the letter and what had been said of himself. 1 .10 letter was securely sealed, but 111 tho end his curiosity got the better of mm,, so he broke open the seal and lead av follows-.-"Dear Jenkins, the bearer is a!rich London tailor, mako tho most of* him.—Yours, etc." ■ Another groat doctor, 111 tho very best , sense of the word, was Sir Androw Clark,; whom George Eliot truly spoko of as "the beloved phvsician." With respect to fees, Sir Andrew alwcys took ,what was, offered; sometimes ho would receive .£509 for a long journey, sometimes two guineas. The following is 110 doubt.but. one of manv similar experiences. After a hard day's work lie was urgently'summoned to a place 120 miles from London.It was a very wet night. There was no'' enrriago to meet him, no fly to b© had* After-walking a milo or two ho arrived' at a small farm, and found tho daughter suffering from an attack of hysteria. Sir Andrew, with his usual kindness, didwhat ho could, and evidently gavo satisfaction, for when he left the mother said, "Well, Sir Andrew, you have been so kind wo must make it double," and handed him two guineas, lie thanked them, and' said "Good-bye." Sir Andrew would never hear of charging more than his usual fee becauso: a person haupened to bo rich. Ina word, ho-was honest. Ou 0110 occasion when going to see a patient. in_ the south tho doctor who was to meet him in consultation met Sir Andrew at tho, station, told him they were rich,;, and quite prepMwl to .pay a very high fee. But Sir Andrew replied, "I did not como from London, and. naming tho" place'where he_was slaying, said, "My fee is only- a iliird of the sum you name."

The Largest Medical Fee, Sir Andrew was not indifferent to fees; on. the contrary, lie rather took a prido in .tolling how much lie earned, lie is said to havo once received -CSOOO for going (o Cannes, the largest medical Ico known. Some, however, have wondered who did pay him, so numerous were Ins non-paying patients. From Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy, sisters, nuns, ad all engaged in. any charitable work (unless rich men) ho would never consent to receivo a fee, at the same -liino ,m;'.:ing it felt that unwillingness to accept his advice "would deprive hint ot a pleasure"; aud-itwas felt that this was literall v true, and it'' anything the patiellts whom ha saw "as a friend," were shown more consideration than others. "Cofiio and seo mo next week," lie said to 0110 who demurred to the necessity for going ... again, knowing ho would not accept . ft fee, "anil I will arrange that you shall not be kept waiting." The present Lord Tennyson writes:— "We are among the many who are inue.il indebted to Sir Andrew Clark. It was in a great measure owing to him that my father recovered from his dangerous ■ attack of gout in 1868, when 'lie was as near death as a man could be.' After this illness Sir Andrew paid us. a visit, ot Aldworth, in the summer of . 1839. lie told us that ho had conic in spite of a summons from tho Shah, to which he had replied ) hat tho Rhalrs Hakim could not obey, as lie had promised to visit his old friend—tho old pcet. Sir Andrew added—''This disobedience of your humble and devoted physician for tho sake of his old friend, the crowned Kinpr of Song, struck , tho crowned King ,of Kings so much that, so far from offended, he took a noble view, and, as a mark of signal honour, sent 1110 tho Star of tho Second Class of the Lion and Sun of Persia,!' "

Dr. Gregory. At or.o time or another . the streets of Edinburgh have been familiar with many famous doctors, but with none more gone'rous-heartcd than tho well-known JJr. Gregory. Tho following story is typical of others that might bo told_ of liim. He was called in 1 to see a medical student who was ill with typhus fever. The invalid pro(l?icd the usual guinea to the doctor, who indignantly declined to take it.

"1 bog your pardon, Dr. Gregory," tho student said, in apology. "Mr. —, who has been attending me, always takes it." "Oh. does he? W.'ll, just you ask him to meet mo in consultation," Gregory said,

"and then offer me tho fee in his pre. sonce." . .

- The consultation took place, and when tho student tendered the guinea Grjgory turned on him fiercely.

"Sir," ho exclamcd, "do you mean to insult me? Is there-a doctor anywhero who would SO'far disgrace himself as to take payment from one of his brotherli6od—and a junior?" The other doctor look this rebuke so much to heart, that befcro the day wa.s over he had returned to the student every guinea ho had received'from him. But even benevolent doctors must at times find the temptation to pocket a ico too great to withstand. It is told of Dr. lvadcliffo that after attending a friend gratuitouslv for a whole year, his patient handed him a fat purse, saying—"Dador, in this purse 1 have put every day's fee. i'leaso take it. My gratitude must not bo less than your generosity." _ KatleliiTe took the purse in his hand, intending to return it. but the weight, and the chink of the gold caused him to waver. Ho was lost; and, putting tho purse iiv his jxickct:, said—"Singly, sir, I could have refused them for a twelvemonth, but all together they are irresistible." Dr. Hunter once lost a fee in an. amusing manner through exees.s of iMie.-xy "What-is .your, fee, sir?" a lady : paticnt asked liinV. "Madam," ho answered, I. make a practice never to'fix tho amount of my fee." On being further' pressed; he Mill declined! and at last; tho lady, with a pretty expression of thanks, took her departure, leaving Hunter fcclcss and not; a little disgusted.