Beware of collection agents who want to take your claims on a percentage commission. Most of them will deal with you honestly at first on small accounts, and then get away with the entire proceeds of a big claim. 177A few years ago a Chicago physician gave a number of ordinary bills to a local collection agency for which he was to receive the amount of the collections less 25 per cent., the agency to stand all costs. The agency did good work, made satisfactory settlements, and finally the doctor gave them a note for $700 which he held against a man in another state. It was to be collected on the same basis—25 per cent. After several months of delay the agency advised the doctor that a compromise could be made at $400. The doctor authorized its acceptance. More months rolled by, and, being unable to get word of any kind from the agency, the doctor wrote direct to the local banker in the town where the maker of the note lived. The banker replied, saying that the note had been paid in full ($700 and interest) several months before, and it was then in his possession cancelled. Since then this physician has had his own collector, under bond from a guarantee company, and gets whatever money may be taken in by him. It is possible that the physician might have prosecuted the agency, but here again he would have been in a dilemma. If he brought a criminal action it would not get him any money, and if he proceeded civilly the members of the agency were execution proof—they had nothing which could be levied upon. In either event, in order to prove payment, he would have to bring the banker here at his own expense—provided he was willing to come—so he concluded to drop the matter and accept it as a costly lesson. 179 CHAPTER XIII   PRESCRIBING OF REMEDIES The time will come when the physician who has not made an arrangement with some pharmacist for a division of the prescription fees, will be obliged to resort to old-time methods and dispense his own remedies. He will have to do this, or go out of business—excuse me, I meant give up practice. It’s high treason, unethical, to speak of a doctor as being in business, but there’s no good reason for it. Anything that a man makes a living at is a business, and if the doctor cannot make a living, and something more, why he’s in the wrong rut. Barring the division arrangement referred to there are three things opposed to the physician’s interest which the druggist must do, or give up his store. These are: 1.—Sell patent medicines. 2.—Prescribe over the counter. 3.—Charge exorbitantly for the medicines prescribed.