Page:Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia - George W Norris.djvu/68

 to deter persons otherwise of just and liberal sentiments from putting themselves to a further expense to gain knowledge, than what is sufficient to gain money. This is to make a vile trade of physic, instead of a noble profession, which, as it certainly is, so it ought to be esteemed."

The fee fixed upon by Dr. Morgan, in his first setting out in practice, was a pistole for the first visit, as a retaining fee, and a dollar for every visit afterwards. He remarks, however, that it was not his intention to require more than one fee per day, although he might wait on the patient oftener, nor yet every day that he visited once, where a disease of a lingering nature, or requiring particular care, would render his attendance expensive. "A retaining fee I expected to receive from the rich, not from the poor; and had firmly resolved, in no case, to receive more fees than sufficient to pay me for the value of my time and trouble of attendance."

At the date of which we are now speaking, Dr. Morgan had attained nearly the middle period of life. He was a ripe scholar, and possessed an amount of professional learning and experience, probably greater than any medical man who had previously been seen in our Province. His reputation for talent and learning had preceded him, and the most