The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-11-05
BEGINNING TO PRACTICE
OR,
Cousin Pete'S First Case of COllcry.
By MAJ. JOSEPH JONES.

Cousin Pete had just come home from
his first course in College, and he was mon
strous anxious to make every body believe
he was great doctor. Unkle Josh put
him with old Doctor Cater to larn the pr;,c-
tice of medicin, for though he had been to
College four months, and had ever SO many
lectcrs from tile Professors, and knowd all
about the theory as he called it, he hadn't
got his hand in yet, and didn't know much
about mixin medicins and sich like. DR..
Cater tuck. him into his Office and used to
take him round to see his patients and cx-
amin ther smptems, and sum times he used
to send Kim by himself 20 give Tie rrcscrp-
lions what lie made for 'cm, and sec how
his medicins operated.
Pete soon began to put on professional
airs, and-any body to see him ridm Unkle
Josh's horses to deth or to hear him talk
ing and swelln bout the dc>pcrt cases he
had on hand, would tuck him to be one Of
the greatest doctors in Gcorgy. l he only
had to go five hundred yards to give u mig
went OIL horseback, rs hard as he could cal
Top, and when Lc had nobody TO see, he
would git on his horse with his saddleb.rS.
and 60 tarin out into the country, as if
somebody's life depended Oh his molums.-
lie was all the time talkin about surgical
operations and topical examinations If dcd
h0tliaS so n,ornfn }.,lf ,,S ,,,,.l,
gers was fraid to so to sleep nights, for fear
he'd cut EN- up and bile the meat of lhcr
bones before morning. The fact is, Pete
was rs perfect Il specimen of "a jourmeyn,au
man-killer, in the fust stage Of his profession
"a was IN be see" a"y;yhar
One day, while DIR. Cater was gone to
Milledgville, and Unklc Josh was way from
home: tue overseer sent in word that some
OF the niggers was sick. That WAS jest into
Petes hand. Ills saddlcbags WAS on his
horse i'll no time, and away he went, dash
III out to the plantation to see what WAS the
matter. In about over here !ic come
back agin, at full gallop, jumped oil at the
Office door, run in and got sum medicine,
and away he dashed agin us hard us lie
could 'tare. Several persons ax'd him what
was the matter, but Pete only looked wise
and sed nothin. IIe hadn't time to say n
word, but away he went like Their wasn't n,
mint to spare. All night he staid at the
plantations, and cvry body WAS wonderin.
what upon yeartlI was the maticr out thar
to keep him SO long. when little ni.ycr
cum into Mr.. Perkinscs Drug Store to gi,
some more !. edcn.
What's broke loose among YOU I'LL Dut
to the plantation 2 scs Mr. Perkins to Ned.
oh = ses lie, Daddy and Unkle Abram,
and Sukey, and Bill, and two or three more
of tile people, is dredful sick
What's the matter with 'cm ??
Dunno, sar Massa Pete scs 'um got dc
easyattick Collery, and tolc me to glib YOU
dis letter.
Mr.. Perkins tuck the letter, and after put
tin his specks he made it out
PLANTATION, July 18th.
To Mr.. Perkins,:
SIR r:-The dredful scurgc is racin here
the Asyatick Collcry. Six Of the niggcrs
is got it in the most malignant tipe. BE
sure to send the follcrin prescription as
quick as possible:
R. Callumy OIL
Morfeenc cr.xxiv. NJ
1T. 6powders.
Make powders tor SIX patients, and send
'em Immediately, as thar aint no time to be
lost
In haste. PETER JONES, nj. d.
The old man flew round like a house on
fre, till he got the powders all made up
then lie gin 'em to little Samson, and told
him to take 'em to the doctor as quick as
he could.
No News was heard from the plantation
alLday. Evry ody was in state Of drcd
fuEexcitement about the Co:lery, and they
was afraid TO 60 with mile of the place fo,
fear of ketchi" the eprydcmmick.
The next'day was Sunday, and evrybody
IN Pineville WAS gwne to church they was
skared 80 dredful. Bout ten o'clock here
comes Cousin Pete, ridn on Uukle JOSH.
old ball-faced horse, in slow walk, will
llis he'd down and a sort of wild look out O
his eyes. Ins,ed Of chargin up the mddl.
street, and racin round the court house
three flour times, like he always did, h,
tucksthe privatest way he could find, as i
he didn't want nobody to sec him.
sumtl'in was the matter, evry body wa
certain, and notl,in was talked about bu
the Collery on U'ikle Josh's plantation, ant
they was all anxious to know how it hat
turned out.
A. soon as they could find Pete at til,
Doctors office, they all begun akin hin
how the niggers was cummin on what hae
tile Collefy.