Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1901 — Doctors Don’t Have To Go. [ARTICLE]

Doctors Don’t Have To Go.

The supreme court has decided that a physician is not legally compelled to attend an emergency case unless he be under contract to do so, even though he may have acted as a family physician in the home of the patient for years past. The plaintiff’s position, in the case just decided, was that the licensed physician, like any public servant, has certain duties to perform among which is the treatment of persons in his neighborhood in cases of emergency. The case was one in which the doctor was the only one to be had. He was called a number of times and was offered fees in advance, but refused to attend the case and a woman died as a consequence. The physioian was sued for SIO,OOO damages by the husband of the woman. The court holds that the law does not impose upon physicians the duty of attending all persons who apply for treatment.