St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-02-17
That H0Id Case.

GUY : W l'ub'lsii'u All Ill tN'S Shii'iNt -
Hard Case in which you reflect upon
the medical profession in general, and
myself in particular, in an uncompimen-
,ary manner Tie truth is not stated in
that article ami TO correct the misrep-
resentation, / claim the right to demand
the publication Of the following statement
of facts:
On Friday morning, Feb. 81, at half
past one o'clock, was called upon by
Mr.. Ephraim lIartshorn TO 90 up TO the
steam mill boarding house 10 see his
dauehtcr-in-law, Mrs Abel IIar.shorn.
Although Il friend Of my own, (my wiic's
grandmother, Mrs Mary Morrill, lay 4
corpse in my house; and although | had
scarcely slept three hours in as many
nights yet | did respond TO the call, and
drove TO the stcam-mill, on the mountain,
in the face of such Il storm OF snow and
wind as would tcrrity any editor, and
prescribed for the patient according TO
the best Of my ability.
After had arrived there, | learned
from Add IIartshorn that | WAS not the
man he sent for, but that Dr.. II. NJ.
Aver Qhe family physician Of Mrs
lIartshorn and her fathers folks) was
first called, bat declined 10 respond, be-
cause the weather was So rough that lie
did not dare to expose himself TO it; and
that | was called because he refused to
come
Learning these facts, | notifiSd them
before leaving, that, on account of the
necessity OF making preparations for The
funeral, which WAS appointed at
my house the next day,and, also, because
| had Il part TO perform at the concert
that evening Though this latter reason
was of minor importancc.) if they should
need any further medical assistance, they
must call DR.. Aver, As he was the man
they sent for in the first place.
returned homc-arlivin. at DanyilIe
Green about . o'clock \. N. About 3
o'cloc!, Z. NJ, of the same day. was
called out Of the hall by Eihraim IIarts-
horn and WAS informed by him that the
palicn, was worse. told linn he must
90 and get DIR. Aycr-that it WAS in tie
daytime EUw, and the weather WAS not
80 bad bat tina; lie could 90. It'd him
if should 20, | could do no mere than
| had already done. He said he Guessed
he would o over to st. ,Inhn,bury and
yet y doctor
Tie next saw of him WIS the same
evening at Il quarter before eleven O'Clock,
at my house, when he informed M that
the doctor he went after was absent; lie
also sad that he did not suppose he could
st NE TO 20 up there that night told
him could not, possibly, * the funeral
was the next day, and WAS very tired.
lie wanted to know if thought Dr. Aver
would 20. It'd linn lid not know
why lie would not gO,-tlrat he could 20
better than l,-that it belonged to him
10 -, a. he was iilSt caliel. AMI Wa, the
patients preference The next day |
learned that DR.. Aver did 20; and also
that the patient was dead.
There was no necessity for EplIraim
iiart-horn to 90 TO St. .John-bury at all.
a. he could have called DR.. Aver Friday
Afternoon; and this WA, my advire to
him. lad he followed this advice. lac
need not have exposed himself nor the
doctor 10 the severity of Friday misht,
nor Saturday morning.
The fact i, rs know from consider
able experience, that >tcurn-mil! route Is
not Il desirable one. on any winter night.
and especially at such Il time AZ Friday
and Saturday, Feb. 81 and It'll. 1t i
almost AT the li>k of life, that 4 rh,si-
clan harnesses his hol>c and undertakes
the drcary tax, in the storm and dark
ness, with the mercury below zero.
In conclusion, | have only TO say that
Mrs. llarishorn's symptoms were very
peculiar, and have no Doubt bat that
she WAS beyond all medical treatment at
the time | first saw her, at three o'clock
Friday morning, and probably before
Ephraim lIartshorn first lett the noun
tain. certainly did all in my power
TO save her, and could not have done
more had remained with her all the
time. Further than this, | forbcar to
express an opinion is to the case. A.
to the musical convention, | claim the
right to sing tune, occasionally. and DO
not think it makes physician, or an cd
itor, any worse to have little emusic in
his soul"
And now, Mr.. Editor, would it not be
lar better for you to refrain from Pub
fishing mere rumor-a ''story which
comes from ''neighboring town." re-
ilecting upon the ''mcdical profession
which YOU ''grcatly cStccm," until you
shall have first taken pains to learn
whether or not ii is"greaily cNaggcrated?''
J. 5. DuRANr.
DtmrWe, EcG 10.