The practise of some physicians is practically the philosophy of
Christian socialism: “From every man according to his ability, to every
man according to his need.”
“A Philadelphia judge,” says _American Medicine_, “has given
expression to the opinion that ‘the life of a rich man is worth
more than the life of a poor man, and the physician has a right
to charge the millionaire more for his services than he does
the laborer.’ He went on further to say that ‘the physician is
unlike the merchant, who has goods of different quality to sell
at various prices. He must give his best service in every case.
Human life has a pecuniary value of variable quality, greater in
the millionaire than in the laborer. Thus, the practitioner of
common sense has a maximum and a minimum charge, and makes out
his bills to suit the pecuniary circumstances of his patients.’”
The writer thinks that “there will be no dissent on the part of
right-thinking people” from this view. Carried to its logical
conclusion, it would appear to justify a sliding-scale of
prices for all the necessities of life, carefully adjusted to
the varying incomes of the users. (Text.)
(935)
* * * * *
The conclusion reached in this extract leaves out of account the
presence in the cosmos of a living God:
The quantity of energy existing in the universe remains
constant, but transforms itself little by little into heat
uniformly distributed at a temperature everywhere identical. In
the end, therefore, there will be neither chemical phenomena nor
manifestation of life; the world will still exist, but without
motion; and, so to speak, dead.--LUCIEN POINCARÉ, “The New
Physics and its Evolution.”
(936)
=Equilibrium in Nature=--See COMPLEXITY IN ORGANS.
=Equipment and Results=--See MEDICAL MISSIONS.
=Error as a Benefactor=--See DISCOVERY, ACCIDENTAL.