"Strikes are becoming the fashion in the higher circles of
society. The physicians of this peaceful Arcadia have united and
struck work, demanding an increase in their fees. The Laudrath,
however, refuses to entertain their claims, and advises a strike
of the patients as the best answer to the physicians' demands."
There was a time when a strike of patients anywhere would have been
attended with a very great decrease of the rate of mortality. There is
reason to suppose that in the present improved condition of medical
science such would not be the case. The strikers, struck with fever, or
other grave illness, would probably be struck down in rather alarming
numbers.
What justification of a medical strike there may be in Switzerland hath
not appeared, but in this country there is, in some quarters, not a
little. The ridiculously low wages, not to say salary, begrudged, not to
say granted, to Medical Officers by many Poor-Law Unions would amply
warrant the establishment of a Professional Union corresponding to a
Trades' Union, and consisting of sons of AESCULAPIUS. The
medico-chirurgical Unionists could manage a strike well enough without
committing any outrage on the Non-Unionists, or Knobsticks. There would
be no need for the Doctors on strike to picket, and waylay, and beat the
others on their road to the Workhouse, or across country to the
recipient of out-door relief; and they could do without rattening them
and filching away their physic, stethoscopes, and surgical instruments.
In dealing with unworthy members of an honourable Profession, capable of
underselling their brother-chips, the practitioners forming the Union
would require to have recourse to no proceedings associated with
Sheffield; they would find it quite sufficient to send outsiders and
recusants of co-operation in a strike to Coventry.
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