The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-09-24
IRREGULAR PRACTICE

OF A REGULAR PRAcTIr NER.
The members of the medical faculty,
here and elsewhere, are great sticklers
for what they term the regular practice.
Many of them, indeed, carry this feeling
SO far, that they would prefer killing
patient by prescription administered in
the regular way, to curing him by recourse
to simple but unprofcssional remedy for
his disease. There are exceptions, how
ever, to this general rule, and one notable
instance we are about TO relate.
In the summer of 1913, about the pc
OF the officers of our army-an amateur
zoologist--returning home from the scenes
of his perils and his glory, brought with
him a rare number Of insects and animals,
indigenous to Mexico. He put up for
some time at the St. Charles Hotel, where
his cabinet of natural curiosities attracted
much attention. Among them was liv-
ing ichneumon fly, repulsive looking an
imal, of the most destructive instincts,
that would destroy and devour ants and
other insects with most sanguinary ra-
pacity. A gentleman whom for the nonce
we shall call Jones, was at the time stop
ping in the St. Charles, and he formed
for the inchneumon strong dislike; in
deed, having once seen it, he could not
bear again to look at it. He was man
of kindly nature and generous qualities.
His mind was genial and sociable to a
fault, and this sometimes led him into
convivial excuses which tended to cloud
mind and confuse an understanding,
which were otherwise strong, clear, and
comprehensive.
About The time we speak Of, he indulg-
cd to such an extent in a debauch that
mani-a-potu followed. He was no SOON
or seized with this disease, than the ich-
neumon seized upon his distempered i'm
agination. The single obnoxious animal
multiplied into ten thousand. They COW
cred his body, he thought, and like SO
many vampires, were sucking his hse's
blood from him. He looked out in the
room, and saw them engaged in a most
dedly conflict with grotesque red and blue
monkeys; and they were drawn up in SOL
id column all round the musquito bar to
prevent his escape.
! His nerves were unstrung, his brain
was fevered, and his distress of mind
could not have been greater if his appre-
tensions had been founded on reality, in
stead of being as they were, the emana-
tions of a disordered imagination. Under
the circumstances, his friends concluded
q b Of
incnt city physicians, with the view Of
his prescribing something to allay the
nervous irritability of the patient. They
did send for him, and soon after, the doc
tor arrived smoking his segar, caring
nothing about the antics of ichneumons or
the pranks of red monkeys. AS he en-
tered the room, he found the patient en-
gagged in vigorous conflict with some
imaginary enemy beneath the musquito
bar, acting more, however, it would seem
on the defensive than offensive. Now he
would slap his hand across his face as if
to drive something off his nose; now he
would draw up his knee and make spas
modic kick towards the foot of the bed !;
now he weuld make his open hand resound
on his shoulder, and now again on his
thigh. The odds against him seemed to
be ovcrpowering, yet he battled manfully.
The doctor saw at once what his disease
was, and at once he resolved to resort to
a quick remeny for its cure.
Don't you think doctor,' said friend
of the patient-who, by the way, was a
regular practitioner too" don't you think
phlebotomy would have excellent effect
in this case?"
"Don't think it would be worth a
d." said the doctor.
81 am sure" said the nurse, who be-
lievcd that hydropathy was cure for all
diseases, "I'm sure that if he got cold
bath and his temples bathed with ice, it
would afford him great relief
"Fiddle sticks" said the doctor, puff
fling his cigar as unconcernedly as be-
fore.
81 have seen a man laboring under a
similar malady said the bar-keeper Of
the establishment, who felt a strong
friendship for the patient, and who was
present at this quasi-medical consultation
=" and gentle purgatives gave him i'm
mediate relief