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Cteanings in Bee Culture 



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BY A. I. ROOT. 



ROBBING SICK PEOPLiE. 



There has been quite a little protest about 

 the position our good friend T. B. Terry 

 takes in his book in regard to surgery and 

 surgical operations. I think he says in one 

 place that most of the people in his neigh- 

 borhood who have gone to have operations 

 performed have come back in a box. He 

 has also something to say in regard to the 

 exorbitant charges for said operations, and 

 that the charge seems to be about the same 

 whether the patient lives or dies. The Ohio 

 Farmer for Oct. 28 has taken up the same 

 subject. See the following: 



SURGICAI- EXTORTION. 



The sumptuary basis of surgical operations is 

 generally regarded as unjust — an imposition upon 

 afflicted humanity. There is no legal restriction or 

 regulation in regard to the charges tor surgical 

 operations. It is entirely controlled by the experi- 

 enced and skillful surgeons. We are told that they 

 co-operate, the country over, in regard to charges, 

 which ai"e quite uniform in the hospitals and sani- 

 tariums. We have been informed of one noted 

 surgeon who secured one hundred dollars a day, 

 average, the year through. The advantage secured 

 by the skillful surgeons is not so bad as the misfor- 

 tune to average patients. It may be true that the 

 charges are variable in relation to financial abili- 

 ty; but so far as our information extends, the 

 average ability of patients to pay is much below 

 the charges made. Recently, a farmer's wife un- 

 derwent an operation that cost her four hundred 

 dollars, and money had to be borrowed to meet the 

 expense. Yet the operation did no good, except 

 temporarily. She died within six months. A phy- 

 sician recently stated to us that serious sjrgical 

 operations destroy more than they save. We know 

 of one instance in which a leg was amputated at a 

 cost of §100 for the operation and SlOO for subseciuent 

 attendance because of suppuration which resulted 

 from ignorance or neglect of the surgeon. A phy- 

 sician declared that the leg should have been anv 

 putated at a cost not exceeding S25. and all pus 

 trouble have been easily prevented. We could re- 

 fer to many other cases that reveal the fact that 

 operation charges are too excessive. We believe 

 that .State laws should regulate both medical and 

 surgical charges. A large proportion of our sur- 

 geons and physicians are educated at State expense 

 in State educational institutions. Why should 

 they not be subject to State laws when applying 

 the education and skill acquired at State expense? 

 Legislative Investigation would furnish suitable 

 information in regard to the proper limit of charges 

 for medical attendance and surgical operations. 

 The upper limit is all that is needed to prevent 

 afflicted people from extortion. The treatment of 

 human ailments has always been the vehicle for 

 more or less extortion. But the worst feature is 

 the lack of genuine responsibility <and healthy in- 

 terest on the part of some surgeons. A great many 

 operations are "successful," but the patient will 

 die as a result. 



Now, this last, coming from the Ohio 

 Farmer, prompts me to tell a little of ray 

 own experience. Something o\'er a year 

 ago I went with a friend to the office of a 

 celebrated surgeon. While there I asked 

 him in regard to the trouble I then had 

 with one of my nostrils. While it let the 

 air Old quite freely, when I came to draw 

 my breath in through said nostril it seemed 

 to close up, something like a valve. Now, 

 T am a fresh-air crank, as you may recall, 

 and I want to get the air in and out of my 

 lungs through my nostrils without any 

 hindrance or imi)ediment as far as possible. 



He made an examination, and said the 

 trouble was very plain — in fact, almost at 

 the exterior of the opening of the nostril 

 was a growth of bony cartilage. I knew of 

 this, but did not think it caused the trouble. 

 He was not only positive the trouble was 

 right there, but he said something like this: 

 "Mr. Root, I am happy to tell you I can 

 remove that growth without the loss of a 

 drop of blood, and without causing you any 

 pain worth mentioning." 



That seemed such a wonderful feat in 

 science and surgery that I decided to have 

 it done. He first made a very thorough 

 application of cocaine, then attended to an- 

 other patient for about fifteen minutes. At 

 the end of that time, with a redhot electric 

 wire he did burn out the growth, and it did 

 not cause any pain nor inconvenience and 

 no flow of blood. He told me beforehand 

 that I must not be frightened if I saw quite 

 a little smoke, and smelled the burning of 

 the frying meat and bone. When the oper- 

 ation was finished 1 took out some money 

 to pay him. But he refused it, and said I 

 would have to come in again in about ten 

 days so he could see how it was healing up. 

 Once more I offered to pay, but he said I 

 should come in still later. Now, it did heal, 

 and with remarkable (juickness; but the 

 valve operation was just the same. What 

 he did, did not hit the spot where the 

 trouble was at all. I declined to go back 

 the third time, but insisted on knowing 

 what my bill was. Imagine my surprise 

 and disgust to see a bill for $63.00 for per- 

 haps five minutes' work. I do not think I 

 have ever before made objection to a doc- 

 tor's bill. But I wrote him courteously, 

 asking him if there was not some mistake 

 for such a bill for so brief a treatment that 

 really did no good at all so far as I could 

 discover. He replied as follows: 



Mr. A. I. Root:—l am \-ery sorry that you are 

 still having difficulty in breathing through one 

 nostril. I am also sorry that you will not have time 

 to come and see me before you go south. What I 

 want you to do when you return is to come and 

 see me so I may be able to make another thorough 

 examination. 



As to the charges, I regret that you think they 

 are a little excessive. I made you my regular 

 charge for the work done: but my aim has always 

 been to have a patient feel that he has received the 

 full value for his money: and when you return I 

 shall be pleased to take care of you and give you 

 more breathing space if it be necessary, and will 

 not charge you any thing further. 



I have never been there since then. I 

 concluded I had had enough of that kind 

 of surgery. Perhaps in justice I should' say 

 that I also consulted him about my hear- 

 ing. He made an examination bydilTerent 

 tests as to my deafness, and took down 

 notes in regard to the same; but he never 

 gave me any treatment whatever for my 

 ears. He never gave me any instructions 

 in regard to what to do for my hearing. I 

 took it, although he did not exactly say so, 

 that my trouble was I he naturjil conse- 



