Middletown transcript., 1875-03-06
Scared into Cholera.
How ThAee Doctors Scared q Well Man
sick-A Meaner Trick still.

The Fort Wayne Sentinel, speaking
Of the foolishness of smallpox scare,
illustrates the effect Of the imagination
by the following: You have, of course
heard of persons having their imagina-
ton SO wrought upon as to cause their
death from some supposed disease OF
illness. Now, no one has, as far al
heard from, been frightened to that ex-
tent on account of the smallpox scare
Of yesterday, but case in point hap
pened here twenty-five years ago that
will serve to point moral if not adorn
a tale. The cholera was then raging
pretty generally, and numbers Of peo-
pie had left Fort Wayne, fearing to be
attacked by the scourge. Three doc
tors were conversing about the plague.
the effect fear and imagination had up
on people, etc.
One of them (now dead for the last
ten years or more) proposed q test Of
this. He named strong, robust man,
butcher by occupation, named Dole
man, who then kept his shop on the
canal directly back Of Columbia street.
Of the many strong and healthy men,
probably not one could be found who
was SO nearly perfect man physically.
He was also at the time in superb
health, Of full habit and good weight.
So the trio agreed to subject Doleman
to the above mentioned test. Each OF
the three disciples of Esculapius was to
60 into the shop on pretense of pur-
chasing meat, and then lead the butcher
to talk on the subject of cholera, or in
some way to impress him with the be-
lief that he was about to become its
victim
The first door entered the shop, and /,
after passing the compliments of the
day with the proprietor, ordered a
pound of steak. It was cut, and the
unsuspecting man Of meat began to
weigh it.
"Why," said the doctor, "hew badly
you look! What is the matter with
you, Doleman p
Nothing at ALL" said Doleman /;
"never felt heartier or better in all my
life"
"But surely something ails you
you are looking ILL.,"
"Well," said the victim, II am very
we'll; nothing at all is the matter with
me-"
After looking at Doleman a minute
the doctor passed out.
Entered then the second of the trio,
who also ordered some meat. He like
wise looked searchiugly at the butcher,
and then said:
why, Doleman, what is the matter
with you? You are looking i'll. You
are going to be sick, I'm afraid"
The poor man replied that he was
not ill, and felt as we'll as he ever did
did in his life.
The doctor looked obviously at him
and went out.
The last of the three who had "put
up the job" on Doleman came in after
while. He requested the butcher to
cut off a nice piece of steak. As this
request was about to be complied with,
the doctor examined the meat, and re-
marked in an earnest way, "No. l
won't take it, that meat has cholera in
it,"
This was the last straw. The poor
wretch began to think he was in bad
way. The doctor, as soon as he had
uttered the rash words, walked off and
left Doleman to his own reflections,
which were none of the pleasantest.
Doleman Immediately "shut up shop"
and went home. He fell sick and had,
it is said, as genuine case of cholera
as was ever seen. The arti6ce of the
medical trio had succeeded too well.
Fortunately the mans splendid consti-
tuition carried him through, and be re-
covered. Had he been man of little
strength. highly susceptible to disease,
aud all that, the result very likely
would have been death.
But that was not all The doctor
who had proposed the trial attended
Doleman while he was sick, ands pre-
sented bill for his services. The
butcher having no money, couldn't pay
it. To satisfy his claim the doctor
took Doleman's horse and cart and sold
them to pay his bill, though be himself
was the principle cause Of the poor fel-
lows illness.
The circumstances are doubtless re-
membered by many Of this city, though
they will also be new to numbers of
people now here.
Only woman's hair! Who has net,
some time in his life. picked such