Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1865-06-14

ming " a patient, Sir. " A what Z!
said, half beside myself. "a lady, Sir
silk dress P'
thrust the novel I had been reading
-" The Three Spasms'-u1der the sofa,
Strengthened my hair, opened my lancet
case, and, after waiting the customary
professional time which tradition has es-
tablished-tc convince a patient of the
pressure of ones engagements-my first
patient was ushered in. She was closely
yelled, petite rather than tall, young,
graceful, ladylike-I was prepared to
take an affidavit on all the points before
the President of the College of Surgeons,
if need had been-and I saw at once, to
my sorrow, that, in the ezigencies of my
profession, a powder or a saline mixture,
a pill night and morning, with draught
at bedtime, was the utmost could hope.
When seated, a voice, sweet and melo-
dious-I have Shakspeare's notion about
musical voices-said =" You will, per-
haps, be surprised at my calling on you
alone"
was, indeed; but gracefully convey
ing that multitude of beautiful patients
in waiting was the normal routine of my
delay experience, the fair patient con-
tinued:
81 have called on you on matter of
the most imminent importance" ."
I breathed again.
~ 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 unremitting in his at
tentions, but he seems as much as our
selves in the dark as to the nature of the
complaint, and, indeed, seems so far over
whelmed with the character and severity
of the malady as to be unable to cope
with it. have consulted my own fears
rather than his wishes, and have come to
you, thinking that additional advice
would be an advantage. I am a stranger
in London stranger without aay
friends, save my husbands family; and
I 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
mime" This was said with an air Of the
most tender and parthetic simplicity
and, as if to convince me of the fact
she had hitherto been sitting closely veil
ed-she, with the most natural and grace
ful action in the world, lifted her veil.
am not superstitious, nor imagin-
ative: but I was startled. I had, as I
have already said, been reading "The
Three Spasms," and here was the hero
Inc Of the book. Here was lady quite
as beautiful, quite spetite, quite as young,
with the same identical " feathery" fax
en- curls, and the same melting blue eyes,
the sumo tiny mouth, the same quiet and
subdued manner and sweet voice. [ in
voluntarily drew back; here was a crimi-
nal, prisoner, a bigamist,- great
criminals are pretty in-modern novels. I
felt agltated, and my fears were not calm
ed, when, in the most natural tone in the
world, she suggested that I should ac
company her in her carriage, which was
in waiting, to her house.
ventured to ask the symptoms of my
future patient. The lady explained
"tongue parched, eyes red, partial para
lysis of the extremities, excessive nervous
irritability." tt ..a.
I saw it at a glance-chronic arsenical
poisoning of the worst. 1 suggested,
the irritability accompanied by pros
tration, with impaired respiration" And,
as 1 expected, the answers were afirma
tive. saw at once-poisoning by
arsenic, I, said I to myself, am called in
to lull suspicious when it is too late
Yes, it is too true. Here IS another
beautiful demon-here is the same per-
feet form, the same shower Of radiant
curls. She is very beautiful, and by all
the experience set forth in that mirror
Of life, the modern novel, she is about to
become guilty of murder, or arson at
least
The carriage stopped at a handsome
house in a handsome square in the
suburbs. 1 found my patient asleep
Ny worst suspicious were realized
fever, exfoliation of cuticle of the tongue,
the membrane of the eyes red. I made
nv resolve at once-I will expose the
Vaccinations of this vile creature, un-
mask this villainy, defeat the committal
of this horrid crime. But how {?
" Madam" I said with promptitude,
q" this is serious case. ! must watch
your husband-I will stay here tonight" "
Awed by my manner, and perhaps
alarmed by the evidence of my suspi-
cious, she consented. My resolve was
fzed-I would watch; and I saw in
imagination a cause celebre-a trial at
Old Bailey or in Westminster Hall-my
name and fame established forever. The