New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-02-21

ten minutes in the passage below, while the
housekeeper announced my presence, and that
the clock had struck ten as / knocked at the
door
Ave. said he, "those women folks will
clatter and chatter, and know the rights and
wrongs Of every thing but what are you stand
ing there for, gaping like simpleton. | sent
for you to cure my cough, if you can Take
chair, man"
Amused at the old genteman's eccentric be-
hayior, despite his rudeness did as he deired.
After asking few questions which he answered
grufny enough, satisfied myself that his cough
would easily give way to proper remedies, and,
indeed, that it would perhaps long ago have CUB
sided, but for his imprudence and exposure to
the weather
sat for few moments chatting, or rather
endeavoring to draw the old gentleman into
conversation, but to no purpose. As soon MS he
had replied to my questions he again referred
to his book, and | noticed that the walls Of the
apartment were covered with ook-she'ves all
stored with like anliquatei volumes, buI III per-
Iect keeping with the ancient, dark, polished
furniture and the air of antiquity that peryaded
the room. The volume he was peruslng, OBJ
served, from the large, faded gilt letters on the
back, was "A treaties on marriage, by some
learned man Of the sixteenth century. Rather
n strange work, thought, to 50 deeply interest
such a faded piece of antiquity as my patient.
lUel TUtc " gus lt'tl MOulu seild
some medicine which had no doubt would afford
him relief, and that in few days he would be
quite We'll.
! did not call the next day, but on the follow
ing morning | stopped at the door | was pass
ing by, and passed in with the housekeeper,
who had been out for some purpose. did not
wait to have my name announced but iminedl-
ately went up to the room had seen my patient
i'll on the former visit needless of the scowls and
mutterngs Of the abigail tapped gently at
the door of the apartment, and the well known
gruif voice cried
"C0me in.
| entered.
''Ah its you, is it-got no more Of your quack
medicine, eh throw it out Of the window if
you have
| was astonsled, not 50 much at this saluta-
ton as that the medicine had sent had afforded
no relief to the cough, which perceived was no
better
81 am sorry" said |, g that the cough mix
ture sent you did not afford you relief"
Did doctors stuff ever give relief to any
body z" was the surly reply.
| To this ] said merely:
" Did You take it in haxseed tea, according
to directions z"
Flaxseed tea What next quackery Il
didn't take the stuff at all. There are the bot
ties, Their contents were empted into the slop-
bowl
Although SoHleNHat HHHoJeu Ut inc CONT UNA
| cy OF the old gentleman and at the summary
disposal Of my medicine, | could not help smil-
ing at the idea Of the old gentleman grumbling
because medicine so disposed of had done him
no good Although the cough was not now Of a
dangerous character, ! was well aware that if il
were not relieved it might soon become 50,
therefore determined to work upon his fears
and told him ] would not be accountable for the
consequences if he still continued obstinaIely t.
reject advice and refuse proper medicine.
Z" Eli what" said he the consequences
what consequences Its only cough-there''
no danger. am whole and sound. Only sixty
four years of age, and never had cough or al
hours sickness before"
There is certainly no danger at present, ;
said |, and your cough will yield to proper
treatment but the fact that you have a sount
constitution and have been blessed through lif,
with good health is in itself liable to render you
careless, and surely need not inform you tina
a cough neglected is always dangerous"
Well,' replied my patient, ." send me SOM
more of your medicine, and this time Mrs Stan
dish shall have nothing to do with it. | vii
have it all my own way"
wished the old gentleman 80 good morning
and was proceeding down stairs, when he Gale
} me back and said:
Doctor, can't go down to the old bOokstal
for an hour Z"
by no MEANS | replied, 'if you wish speed
lily 10 get rid Of your cough"
:" Well, then, if it must he so, will you as
McTavish if he has found the third volume
. this Treatise on Marriage, by learned phys
clan of the 10th century, and if he has, brin
0 it with You next time you call J"
: 81 WILL replied, willing to oblige the ec
centric old gentleman far as | was able
l Two days afterwards | again called at n
D house, with the odd volume which McTayish ha
q hunted up, and found my patient, as | expected
e If he obeyed my injunctions, almost wholly re
: leved of his distressing cough and consequent
!, much more inclined 10 converse with some do
# gree Of civilty than had heretofore seen hin
: My having brought him the book he was anxiOr
for, also operated in my favor considerabl!
:; and the old gentleman, for the time being,
+! Least. strove to bannish the bear from b
= manners.
= - lou are the first physician, | believe, wi
y ever gave patient any real relief" said h
}, "a parcel of greedy money hunters as they a
genclally-not you mind-but perhaps
d confined, as if to qualify the last compliment
e 'pcrhaps yon may have some stuff which mig
d be beneficial to a cough, though you could be
Il no service in any other sickness
e | replied that | hoped he would never give Il
k any opportunity of testing my skill as regard
n himself but that trusted ! might be foul
: quite IT'S useful, even in other disorders
7, " Humph y was the only word he uttered
reply For some minutes he sat quiet, and
"a WUtllu nave tIullleu lHc lbOu Htii uOt nc
l. ccived that he had something to say to me, al
II waited to give him the opportunity of saying
'e in his own way.
h, 81 Dr. - at length he said, g Il belle
= you to be q young man OF discretion. thong
ut so when ! saw you stop so often at the old boo
:, stall. By-the-by, what age may you be ~
We smiled at the strage patronizing way of
N old gentleman, and replied;
is - am few months over thirty years"
ut " Humph and you are married -
''Oh, yes, and have two children"
ID Too young sr-too young by thirty or at le'
n twenty years for marriage. Hear what
We learned Godolphin says--Ohl sir, there WI
a physicians on the earth in the days when &
dolphin wrote-not themere cmpirics, sir, of
he present day. will read you the extract sc
= dolphin's treatise on marriage, Tome 2, chap
Of Is, page 301. And being in full yigour
h mynde and bodye; nor given to debaucheries,
y, synefull lusttes, or gluttonies or other vices
a shoulde advise that the age of sixty or there
IS bouts be the proper age for man to take
hpmsetfe wyffe for at thatte ripe age m
1T hasth caste asyde hys follyes and begynneth