Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-08-14
Irregular Practice of q

Irregular Practice of a Regular Practitioner
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 un-
professional remedy Tor his disease. There are ex-
ceptlons, however, to this general rue and one no.
table instance about to relate.
| In the summer of AS, about the period of the
close of the Mexican war; one of the officers of our
army-an amateur notwithstanding home from
the scenes of his peris and his glory, brought with
him rare number of insects and animals. indigo
go Pus s. Mexico He put up for some lime at the
osites attracted much attention. An66ng ttHE7aa curl
a living ichneumon fly, a repulsive looking animal,
OF the most destructive instincts, that would destroy
and deyour ants and other Insects with most san
culinary rapacity gentleman, whom for the noace
we shall call Jones, at the time stopping in the
St. Charles, and he formed for the ichneumon a
strong dislike; indeed, having once it, he could
not bear again TO look at it. He was man of kind
y nature and generous qualities His mind was ge-
NAL and socable to fault, and this sometimes led
him into conyivial excuses which tended to cloud
mind and confuse understanding, which were 9TH
erwise strong, clear, and nprehenslye.
About the time speak of, he INDUCED to such
an extent in debauch that maaia-a-potu followed
He sooner seized with this disease, than the
ichneumon seized upon his dlstempered imagination.
The single obnoxious animal multiplied into ten
thousand. They covered his body, he thought, and
like so many vampires were sucking his fe's blood
from him. He looked out in the room and saw
them engaged in most deadly conflict with gro
tesque red and blue monkeys; and they were drawn
up in solid column all round the mosquito bar to pre-
vent his escape.
His nerves were unstrung, his brain was fevered,
and his distress of mind could not have been greater
if his approximations had been founded reality, in
stead of being, as they were, the emanations of
disordered imagination. Under the circumstances,
his friends concluded to send for DIR. - one of
our most eminent city physicians, with the view Of
his prescribing something to aay the nervous rrita-
bility of the patient. They did send for him, and
soon after, the doctor arrived smoking his segar, car
ing nothing about the antics of chneumons or the
pranks of red monkeys. As he entered the room,
he found the patient engaged in vigorous conflict
with some imaginary enemy beneath the mosquito
bar, acting more, however, it would seem, on the
defensive than the offensive. Now he would slap
his hand across his face if TO drive something oft
his nose; now he would draw up his knee and make
a spasmodic kick towards the foot Of the bed; now
he would make his open hand resound on his Shout
der, and now again on his thigh. The odds against
him seemed to be overpowerng, yet he battled man.
! fully. The doctor at what his disease
was and at once he resolved to resort to quick
remedy for its cure.
"Don't you think, Doctor said friend of the
patient-who, by the way, was regular practition-
er too" don't you think phebotomy would have
| excellent effect in his case !''
Don't think it would be worth d--n,'' said
the Doctor
"I am sure," said the nurse, who believed that
hydropathy was a 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, putting his segar
as unconcernedly as before.
"I have seen man laboring under similar mall
ady " said the bar-keeper ofthe establishment, who
felt strong friendship for the patient, and who was
present at this quasi-medcal consultation, :" and
gentle purgatives gave him immediate relief.''
"You did, did you ~ said the doctor.
81 did, said the bar-keeper
What PITY said the doctor, " that you did
not publish the fact in the columns Of the Medical
Journal %
4 While this conversation going on, poor Jones,
who had taken lessons in boxing from Roper, wac