OCR Text |
Show SICIC AND TVJCENL.' HCLPLES3 HOTEL. CUESTO FLEECED DV DIQ OOCTOnS' FEES. 3t.nr lleUt. In the Ilia Metropolis ami In Chle.fo re In ttaoIItli Coniclenre I... M.rabr. of Hit Sleillcal l'mrcilou to l.llort Jlonej. Every largo hotel In tbo city nowadayl tint n physician resident In tlio building. Ilia prcsenco In tlio hotel it ono uf the proofs of tho corapleteiiessof tho modern hostelry, no far at tho rovlsion end comfort com-fort of tho gnest it concerned. Tlio Men of hiving n doctor within Instant call ii beyond nil question on excellent one, bnt It seems that it has of hto been subject to grin o nbnso. Tho fact has got ont tint sotno of tho hob 1 phytlclana inaka uso of their position to lovy extortionate charges for tho trritmont of gucsta who laro been luckless enough to fall 111 among stranger. Complaint it mado that far from being n blessing to tho ptett, tho caso with which medical nttendanco can bo aerated li.n in audi case lcomo n tourco ol geuulno drr.nl to vitltora to tho big city wholinvutoatopntliotela. Thogncetl fearoien n trilling illnesawMlo In the hotel, becauao If they mnko tho fact known that they want tu eeo a iloctoi they will bo charged n feo ont of all pro portion to tho aerilco rendered by the doctor, whoso chief claim to patronage la that ho la "alwnj a near nt hand." Complaint hat liecn midu ngalnst the iloctora' charge In two of tho best known hotels In tho town to a prominent con-aulllux con-aulllux physician. "When 1 waa taken tick nt tho hotel Iho other night," ono of tho complilnnnti raid, "I asked tho head clerk to tend me Dr. 8." "Dr. S.I" aald the clerk In necmlna Mtoulshment. "Inner heart of hint. Uut wo luvo a competent physician In tho hotel whom I will tend to joui room." Tlio hotel doctor did go to tho room In rciponso to tho request of tho ilerk. He undo oeral Ults during tho night, nl-though nl-though thogucsti didn't want nnd didn't neeil inoro than ono visit. A feo of (ill) waa cliargcd hi tlio bill, nnd tho gucata bad to pay It, Subsequent Investigation mado It cloar that tho reason for thl liUli feu wa that tbo hotel plrjalclm had mado nit nrrnugipicnt with tho hotel ho-tel proprietor by which tho latter goto third of this big fee. Tho guest nlso learned that tlila sharing of tLo feo bid been Iho custom nt the hotel for n very long tlmo, and that guest submitted to It rather than bavo ony wrnnglo at tho clerk's desk over; charge, n thing that aelf resecting persona nntnrully dreid aud will moid oen wlicro tho chnrgo la n manifest linposltiou. Tlio nbuso has recently attractod tho attention of tho profccslonals, who do not practlco in hotels, ho-tels, and has ovokod an earnest protest and a demand for reform. Tho Medical Itecord, under tho heading head-ing "Doctor and Hotels," handle tlio subject Iu this igoroua stylo: "Every person of eensllivomoralt.nnd n gooil many with only o cry day sensi bllltlca, wuuld bo allocked If tho w hold story of tho relations of doctor to holds wcro written. Tbcro is n fashionable hostelry In thla town whero tho hotel doctor charges $7 a visit, and thero is tho best reason for holKIng that tho htul Hug landlord gotafrj of It, It la stated on good authority that in many hotels tho official doctor is obliged to gho up from one-fifth to ono-thlrd of his charges to tho busincsi management. I'uoplo who are taken 111 in hotel mustliavon doctor and are not disposed to question about termt. 1 boy do not find out wlint tliMoaro until they sottlo tho bill, and then cipoatulation Is too Into." It I only just to say that all Iho hotel pbjslelansaro not partlce to thla menu tort of awiudllug. Many of them aro ph) slclant of liljh repute who llvo at tho hotel and lay for their board and loilg. ingatho bnuio a any other guest and hao n regular nnd legitimato scheilulo of charge bused upon tho market laluo of their professional services. In cases whero thero it a "dlny" between tho doctor and tho hotel tbo ph) rlclan get lilt lodgings aud board ntn reduced rato, llolsanxiintcdby tbo hotel proprietor, and ho oxenses tl o high feo ou tho ple.i that bo has to charge moro than his regular reg-ular ruto in order to mnko good tho bonus to tho proprietor. This bunns Is do-nuinded do-nuinded for tho prlrilego uf practicing in tho hotel. "Thla abuse Is worso In Chicago than It la Iu New York," a prominent phy-Icl.in phy-Icl.in cola. "Tho bouui ej stem t certainly nn out-ra?o out-ra?o on the traveling public," said another an-other pbisician, "but nt tho t-mio tlmu tho hotel doctor should not ahonlder the cntlro btjiiio for It, Tho responsibility fiat) with tho hotel proprietor who is menu enough to look for gain from tho sickness of ono of his patrons. It Is not uslnjt cry strong language to call this Unrlurlstu. Hold proprietor v. ho fin or tho fleeting of thu tick In their establishments establish-ments ought to bo tabooed by every hun-oroblo hun-oroblo and rolf respecting man nnd woman. wo-man. If guosts w ero to ttny nvt ay from such hotels, tho bonuj nrstcm would bu quickly auppreaanl." Now York Hun, rH o all tho nnmarkctabio beets, i.ir-rots i.ir-rots and other root eropa to food topoul-try. |