Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-03-14
A BAD FkACTURE;
Or the Cure Of a Drunken Doctor.
From askesches of Medical Student in Paris.r


From ssketches of Medical Student in Paris,
SAILORS who have followed the Sc,
for years, say that they can tell wher
they are in the vicinity of Long Islanc
by the Sound
Nicholas Lebrnn breakfasted so wei
in the morning that he was intoxicated
in the evening. Do not, however, judge
him with too much severity, for thai
same morning he had passed his fourth
examination with all white balls. There
only remained for him another step tc
give him his diploma as a physician
and under these circumstances it wa,
excusable for him to invite three OF
four Of his friends, and celebrate the
occasion. Beside, he very rarely in
dulged in any dissipation, but usually
led the most sober life in the world
Three words will suffice to make the
reader understand why this was the
case. He was resident pupil in the
Hotel-Dieu Oh, you who have passed
through this trying ordeal can sympa-
thize with Lebrnn, you who remember
the Lard fare, hard work, and hard lec-
lures attached to that venerable hospi-
tai, can well excuse Lebiun for being
intoxicated on the day of his fourth
examination.
However, to our story. On that
day Lebrun was in an exceed ngly i'm
proper state. This was more remark
able when he returned to the hospital
in the evening.
Where had Lebrun passed the day :
None, not even himself, could tell.
Wherever it might have been, when
he returned to the hospital at four
o'clock in the afternoon. the porter,
when he saw him, smiled in singular
manner. The good wan was right
Lebrun, who had left the ,spital in
the morning with a firm and steldy
step, returned intoxicated in the even
ing He assembled the stairs with a
tottering gait With his shoulders
thrown back, with his head high in the
arr he walked with all the majesty of
intemperance. His marvellous dignity
was slightly interfered with when he
fell over the top step Of the stairs, but
he soon recovered himself and brusque-
ly entered the ward and without even
wiping his shoes, made directly for the
closet in which his intimate friend
Annibal was accustomed to hang his
apron. This apron he tied arounl him.
1t is trae, it took him ten minutes to
fasten the strings behind him, and he
tried in vain to make bow, but was
obliged to compromise the matter by
tying them in kno'.
The Sister attached to the ward
looked at him earnestly, and seeing his
face flushed, partly by impatience and
partly by the fumes of wine, she asked
him if he were not sick.
Lebrun imperfectly understood her
question, and as he was conscious of
his codition, he did not dare to make
answer, but contented hins-lf by star
ing at her with fixed eyes. The sister
could not help blushing at his earnest
gaze, and turned away her head Af-
ter which Lebrun gravely commenced
his evening visit.
had almost forgotten to say that
Lebrun's friend, Annibal, ha1 that day
begged him to make the evening visit
round the ward. he (Annibal) having
some other business to attend to.
must add that the ward was a surgical
one, and, consequently. contained only
surgicsl cases.
At the first bed, Lebrun took the in
valid's hand, and. with his doctorial
eyes half closed. gently felt the patti
ent's purse
The poor fellow looked at him anx>
iously.
you are feverush this evening" said
Lebrun, resolutely. Sister, basin if
you please
And he bled him profusely.
There, that will do you good said
he, passing to the second bed.
Here, again, he found the patient in
high fever--another copious bleeding
At the third bed. he had scarcely
felt patients pulse, when ne shook his
head knowingly, and called the over
seer of the ward and sister TO his side.
These patients have been eating
highly seasoned fo"d,' said he-'they
are all of them in high fever,
The sister affirmed that she had not
gone beyond the usual ordinance.
Then it is you,' said Lebrun, to the
overseer.
John earnestly assured the student
that he had given the patients nothing.
Hold your tongue said Lebrun,
severely. 'If you have gwen them
nothing to eat, you have certainly Civ
en- them some thing to drink -
And he pronounced these last words
in such an angry tone that the unfor-
tuuate overseer (innocent though he
was) was too frightened to make any
reply.
The fact is, it was no fault of John
that Lebrun had too freely breakfdsted
that morning. and that he was conse-
quently deceived in the evening, TAX
ing the pulsation of his own arteries
for the patients pulses, and in finding
in others the fever that was in his own
system.
lie lectured everybody in the ward
1t lsshaneful,' said he, in spite Of
the denial of the sister, the invalids