The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-05
MY FIRST PATIENT.
A SENSATION" STORY.

/
| SENSATION STORY.
|
! lam sitting in my consulting-room, in
dingy house, in dingy street. The
neighborhood is fashionable, being in
the immediate vicinity of news, and
having strong odor of straw and stab
ling about it. My consulting-room is so
called, laic,ts non luciendo because no
one has yet thought fit to consult me in
it-that Is, no one to speak of, because
an elderly female did once plunge into
my apartment with her little boy, who
had over-eaten himself. alleging that
the unhappy cub chad overbalanced his
heart, poor DEAR diagnosis which did
not seem familiar, and for TIME per
picked me.
| am surgeon, and have been two
years qualified practitioner But as
yet, save the elderly lady referred to,
have had no patient. Yet my door-lamp
is the brightest and burns the bluest Of
any in the neighborhood. My brass plato
is the largest ana brassiest. have been
called out of church on an average four
times every Sunday the policeman re-
gularly hammers at my door, in man.
ner to disturb the whole street, in the
smaller hours of the night; paragraphse
In the Piccadilly pepper, the local organ
of the district, have regularly SET forth
| the imaginary accidents that I have at
kindness of heart !" but it has been all
to no purpose. am ready to bleed for
| my country, but my country will not be
bled. My practice in anatomy Is still
| confined to the dissection of my daily
mutton chop; and in despair have given
pills to all my servants, including my
boy in buttons, till they have struck for
board-wages, with an increase contin-
gent on the consumption of drafts and
| powders; and have serious thoughts Of
taking some Of my own medicine my
self. My last card failed. A case OF
medals and a prize-cup "for proficiency
in pathology" placed within full view
of the open window, only tempted
man called to suggest / was not to be SO
lavish of my plate. Poor fellow! he lit
] tie knew all were dummies.
had written paragraphs, rim the
Lancet, on "Hydrocephalus, and GAS.
phyXia," and had even serious thoughts
of writing book, and was one evening
sitting solitary in my room, musing on
the bitterness of sublunary things, espe-
cially of aloes and other drastics, whena
rap came at my door. A dun, by Jove!
"a tax-gatherer, the true Propontlc
which never Gibbs, l thought. listened;
a lady's voice! The rascal, Jack, had
opened the front door at once, as if he
knew it was dun, and momenta after
appeared, grinning: "a patient, Sir"
"a what?"I said, half beside myself
IA lady, Sir!-silk dress! SpitaIfields
shawl!o Confound his impudence; how
does he know what's SpitalEelds shawls?
the luxurious dog. e5.
| ! thrust the novel had been reading,
''The Three Spasms,n under the sofa,
Strengthened my hair, opened my lancet
case, and, after waiting the customary
professional time which tradition has
estabfishcd-to convince a patient of
the pressure of ones engagements-my
first patient was ushered in. She was
closely yelled, petite rather than tall,
pared to take an affidavit on all these
points before the President of the College
Of Surgeons, If need had been-and saw
atonce, tony sorrow, that, in theexigen-
cies OF my profession, a powder or a
saline mixture, pill night and morn
ing, with draught at bedtime, was the
| utmost / could hope.
When seated, a voice, sweet and me-
lodious-I have Shakspeare's notion
about musical voice-sald, "You will
perhaps be surprised at my calling on
you alone?o 5sl
was, indeed; but gratefully convey
ing that amultitude of beautiful patients
in waiting was the formal routine of my
daily experience, the fair patient con-
tinued:
II have called on you on matter of
the most imminent Importance"
| l breathed again.
81 have the happiness and good for:
tune to be married to one OF the best
husbands in the world. He is seriously
ILL fear dangerously; the medical man
we have engaged is unremitring In his
attentions, but he seems as much as our
selves in the dark as TO the nature OF the
complaint-and, indeed, seems so far
overwhelmed with the character and Sc
verify of the malady as to be unable to
cone with it. / have consulted my own
fears rather than his wishes, and have
come to you, thinking additional advice
would be an advantage. / am stranger
in London-a stranger without any
| friends save my husbands family; and
| | had the grievous misfortune to be mar
ried without the consent of his relatives,
who are bitterly arrayed against me.
and am sure from no fault or occasion
| of mine" This was said with an air OF
the most tender and pathetic simplicity;
and, as If to convince me of the TACT
she had been hitherto sitting closely
| veiled-she, with the most natural and
graceful action in the world, lifted her
| veil.
I am not superstitious nor imagina-
tive; but was startled. Il had, as
have already said, been reading the
"Three Spasms," and here was the he
roine of the book. Here was lady,
quite as beautiful, quite as petite, quite
as young with the same identical ieaJh-
cry flaxen curls, the same melting que
quiet and subdued manner, and sweet
voice. / involuntalily drew back. Here
was clearly criminal, poisoneF' q