The Secrets of Specialists/Chapter 2
One of the most important things to be considered in adopting the office specialties, is a convenient suite of office rooms and their equipment. The work-shop of the physician is of as great, or even greater importance than the one of other vocations in life, and a well located and finely equipped office, not only allows the physician to combat with disease to a better advantage, but also reacts, in both a professional and financial way, by what may be termed silent ethical advertising. Physicians do not realize the impression it leaves upon their patients' minds to witness all the modern, therapeutic appliances and apparatus in operation; an impression of prosperity and success, and that you are abreast with the times in all modern and scientific methods of treatment, which is true; this alone, will give you a professional standing, which can only be duplicated by other physicians who follow in your wake.
In former years many physicians have been accustomed to a few text books, a few surgical instruments, and access to drug store supplies of deteriorated tinctures, extracts and elixirs; these, together with a medicine case, filled with the products borrowed from the drug store, and an office in their hats, constituted the equipment of fully one-half the physicians in the United States. Today the progressive physician considers his office, livery, and other equipments his professional assets, and his skill in utilizing them his liabilities; and to maintain a successful balance depends upon his executive qualifications. The old adage that "fine feathers make fine. birds" is perhaps more true in a physician's life than in any other profession. A pleasing personality and personal magnetism establish a feeling of friendliness between physician. and patient; a well-appointed office, with a thoroughly scientific equipment, is among the most valuable of a physician's assets. Just as the personality of some men is attractive, and that of others repulsive, so are the personal environments of some physicians' offices attractive, while in others they are repellant. Although a physician may pride himself upon being punctual in attendance at office hours, he is frequently detained on some important case, which will not allow him to meet his appointments. What is there that can be more discouraging to the patient who is in ill-health and naturally nervous and restless, than to be required to wait in a bare, dismal, cheerless room; destitute of pictures, with a few magazines dated several years back, and often uncomfortable chairs? A physician's business, like all others, should have the modern tendency toward comfort and even luxury in its surroundings, and his reception room should be the first to receive careful consideration. Let the walls be decorated with appropriate pictures, incident to a physician's life, and those which appeal to the imagination and the sense of beauty; arrange the bric-a-brac, curios and other decorations so they will excite the interest of the beholder. Allow your chairs to be the most comfortable obtainable. An open fireplace is a luxury in any room, as the glow of the fire offers cheerfulness, and the solace of the grate has a therapeutic influence upon many patients. Your reception room table should be loaded with the latest periodicals from both the literary and cosmopolitan press; in fact the room, in general, should be furnished in as luxurious and attractive ways as possible. Such evidence of good taste and refinement has much to do in reinforcing the personal qualities and the professional skill of the physician. If you have an office attendant, be sure to avoid the pessimistic, gossiping erank; select one whose cheerfulness predominates, and the corners of her mouth turn upwards, always remembering the value of a smile:
Towards making life worth while;
That costs the least, and does
The most, is just a pleasant smile.
The smile that bubbles from the
Heart that loves its fellowmen
Will drive away the clouds of
Gloom and let the sunshine in.
"Tis full of worth and goodness too,
With genial kindness blent;
'Tis worth a million dollars, and
It doesn't cost a cent.
The presiding princess of your office should not only be a good entertainer, and exercise every effort to retain patients during your absence, but she should possess qualifications sufficient to allow her to assist you with your operations, etc.
The next important room to be considered is your consultation apartment; this room should be furnished to conform with the reception room, in taste of arrangement, etc., and may also be used as a general operating and treatment room, as it generally is by most physicians who have limited space. In this room may be placed the electric machines and appliances, the therapeutic lamp, electric vibrator, surgical chair, atomizers, nebulizers, etc., although many physicians prefer to treat the throat, nose and lungs in a separate room, owing to the disagreeable odor from the medications. They, therefore, use another room, which they call the "inhalitorium" the walls are either tiled or papered with polished bathroom paper, which can be washed and kept antiseptic for surgical work. It is also a great advantage to have an additional room, equipped in the same way. If baths are incorporated in your armamentorium, you will require more space; one or two rooms for giving the baths proper, and at least two rest rooms, where patients can undress and dress, and also rest after the baths, until their bodies have become acclimated to the prevailing out-door temperature. The subject of baths will be more thoroughly discussed in another chapter.
In order that the reader may form some conception of the arrangement of the offices in question he is referred to the accompanying illustrations. Similar offices could be arranged in any city where the erection of buildings is constantly going on; you will always find the landlord willing to give you a long lease, and arrange the rooms to suit your taste. It is a great advantage to locate your offices on a corner, owing to the light in all the rooms from the side, and not through skylight. Many physicians prefer to occupy an entire house and conduct a cottage sanitarium. This will also be found a profitable enterprise, if the location is such that you are assured of a reasonable patronage. The cottage sanitarium has a great advantage over the offices outlined in the foregoing paragraph, inasmuch as you can have your patients constantly under your observation. This is very desirable in many cases, especially where surgery, the alcohol and drug habit, cancer and other similar diseases are placed under your care for treatment.
In taking under consideration such an enterprise the first question a physician will ask is: Will I be sufficiently remunerated for the extra outlay of money to justify me in scientifically arranging such offices? This brings us to the point of what equipment we will install, and the cost of same.
Modern inventive genius has made great advancements within the last few years, and today the physician can install scientific appliances and apparatus at almost any price that will fit his purse. This is illustrated in the two cuts, given on another page, of nebulizers; one is sold for $12.50 complete, while the other is valued at $50.00. One machine will do as good work as the other; although the cheap machine is not as convenient for the physician, nor as attractive to the patient, the therapeutic value is upon an equal basis, and such is the case with nearly all other mechanical aids. Physicians can also make as large a display with their apparatus as they 
air douch, vacuum apparatus for conducting Bier's hyperemic treatment, tankless compressed air, complete vibratory massage outfit, superheated air and vacuum combined. Galvanic electricity and a combination of vibration, dilation, contraction and massage are possible of administration at one time, known as the Intro-gymnastic treatment. This equipment may not be as attractive as the different instruments stretched along the walls where they will make a better display, but such an apparatus will be exceedingly convenient for the physician with small office space. What is true with the technical outfitting is also true with toilet requisites and other office furniture, as is illustrated in the accompanying cuts.
In selecting scientific equipment for the advanced therapeutics will depend largely upon the amount of space you expect to occupy, and the amount of capital you wish to expend. In order that I may give the reader some idea of such an equipment, I will briefly outline some of the accessories required, and the minimum and maximum cost of same.
| Minimum | Maximum | |||
Operating chair or table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$12.50 | to | $100.00 | |
Atomizing and Nebulizing outfit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
12.50 | to„ | 50.00 | |
Vibratory outfit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
15.00 | to„ | 75.00 | |
Galvanic and Faradic Electric Cabinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
22.50 | to„ | 75.00 | |
Static Machine and accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
150.00 | to„ | 300.00 | |
Therapeutic Lamp outfit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
30.00 | to„ | 100.00 | |
Bath equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
100.00 | to„ | 300.00 | |
Optical Case for fitting glasses60.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | ||||
Ozone outfit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
30.00 | to„ | 200.00 | |
While the above are the essential requirements for a thorough scientific equipment, some may be omitted and others added, depending upon the location of offices, the demand of the public and the desire of the physician. To fulfill these by the above estimates it will be seen that a completely furnished office, including all furniture, mechanical apparatus, etc., may be secured at prices ranging from five hundred to fifteen hundred dollars. I have always deemed it a good policy, however, to secure the best, not only because "a thing of beauty is a joy forever," but because the better grade of apparatus will not become impaired from constant use, but can always be depended upon when desired. The next question the physician may consider is: will the extra expenditure of capital justify him in establishing such an enterprise and where will he locate?
For the last ten years I have been a very close observer of this method of conducting a medical practice, and I have never known of a single instance where a physician has made a failure. On the other hand, nearly every practitioner has informed me that he has increased his yearly income over one hundred per cent. Most physicians conduct their business under their own names, while others prefer the name of sanitarium, hospital, institute, etc. This is particularly so where a residence is occupied for offices; thus we find the Red Cross Sanitarium, Doctor Brown's Medical Institute, Doctor Hay's Electro-Medical Institute, Doctor Covert's Inhalitarium, Doctor Ball's Gold Cure Institute or Retreat, Dr. Clark's Cancer Hospital, and others located throughout the country. Where a single specialty is practiced, as cancer, or alcohol and the drug habits, it is generally in the name, as above; but inasmuch as the treatment of these specialties has been robbed of its mysteries, it has ceased to be a "trick." Any physician can treat these pathological conditions by following the instructions given in the following pages. There is no reason why they should not be incorporated in every physician's practice.
The erroneous opinion has prevailed among physicians that such an office or institution should be located in a city, but such is not the case, as medical competition is fairly well equalized throughout the country. I have known physicians who have established these offices in hamlets of less than five hundred population, that have patients visit them from the city, and other places hundreds of miles distant. In selecting a new location, however, I would advise a physician to choose a city which contains a population from five thousand upwards. In the following pages I will outline many specialties which may be used to great advantage in office practice. These aids I have divided into the physiologic methods of treatment, and medical and surgical specialties.