On provident dispensaries as a means for promoting the public health / by James Christie.

  • James Christie
Date:
[1880?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On provident dispensaries as a means for promoting the public health / by James Christie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Pkilctopkieai Society of (Jlasyott. mediml oAeera of the Diqpenaary; in cmm of KcriouH illnen, lie im entitled to meilic-al utten<Unoe aud ineiUcines; aiid, if neoee- M17, to bkilful aiid tender nuitdng, at his own hotnf; and if he Miffen from dlseajst* retjuiring hospital treatment, he i« reoom- meoded to the general or special hospital most suited to his ea«\ Tbe advantage to medical men is, that there are no Hiuall bills to collect, and no bad debts, the payments being made, not to the doctor direct, but at the Disjiensary; and that an opjHMtunity is affonled for acquiring valuable experience, <'siK«cially in the domiciliary' treatment of disease, as well as |>er8onal favour and profenioiud ■ ' tion. Everything in life is 'give and take,' Mid it is enoup;ii ii a prepondemnce of ben<*(it can be shown. A few small professional fees, which, after all, aro expensive and dtfteult to collect, may have to be foregone towards the upper HMUrfin of the working-claas; but, on the other hand, that entire cImb, stopping short only at absolute patipers, will be brought under etFective contribution, I forl»ear entering u|>on the businen lepect of the question, as aflbeling medical men, but I may stat** niy oj)inion that the estab- lishment of such dispensaries would benefit many, find would injuriously affect none. I <lo not think thai the medical UK-n of Olaagow are, as a rule, ovcrbunlened with remunerative work; <m the contrary, I think that their Jiumber is quit<' suflicieiit to meet the calls for their services. IVrliaps some may think that there is nitlier a plethora than otherwise, but we find that in Cila^gow, ineladiMcr *h<- suburlw, there is but one practitioner for every 2,250 of pt'j n, while in Eklinburgh there is one for every 1,000 and in Liverpool one for every 1,500. The numbers per 1,000 of population in Glasgow who receive charitabh; medical aid are 72, while in Rlinburgh there are 200, and in Liverpool, 236. From these fscta, Dr. Russell concludes:—(1) That the work done by such charitable agencies is work which, if not so done, will never be done at all; and (2) That the private interests of the m(?dical profession are not invaded by even the most complete system of medical relief. From the same facts, 1 conclude that the field for Provident T> - ^iries is virtually, in great part, new ground, and that the cu, . .. ion of it will not interfere with the jtrivate int^erestfl of the profession. The interests of the medical profession may, and probably would, be invaded in a very serious manner by intrwlucing a system of gratuitous medical aid to all who may choose to avail themselveB
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