Average physician income ranges from $253,000 in the Northeast to $281,000 in the Northwest. Certain regions of the country may have to pay more to attract doctors, so physician salaries often reflect the level of competition more than the cost of living.
To put this in the modern context, steam pears with rock sugar can help to reduce swollen throat, smooth irritation at throat, reduce cough (especially loud ones), prevent dehydration of respiratory tract, clear phlegm, and reduce fever.
It is highly unlikely that pears could cause constipation, and in fact they are likely to have the opposite effect. Due to the high amount of fiber that pears contain, they are sometimes used as a remedy for constipation.