When money is used in a trade instead of the direct exchange of goods, it acts as a

Barter is a system of exchange where goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. It is distinguishable from gift economies in many ways; one of them is that the reciprocal exchange is immediate and not delayed in time.

Do you have more info about it ? i doubt this is the answer because i don't have all the information but if trouble was brewing in a clinic maybe it was an argument as to which clinic was better or smth of that nature

Acase involving the laws of a single state.