The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-03-11
Fright and COntagiOn.

You have, of course, heard of persons hav-
ing their imaginations so wrought upon as to
cause their death from some supposed disease
or illness. Now, no one has, as far as heard
from, been frightened to that extent on account
of the smallpox scare OF yesterday, but case
in point happened here twenty-five years ago
that will serve to point moral if not adorn a
tale. The cholera was then raging pretty gen.
orally, and numbers of people had left Fort
Wayne, fearing to be attacked by the scourge.
Three doctors were conversing about the plague,
the effect fear and imagination had upon peo-
ple etc., etc. One of them (now dead for the
last ten years or more) proposed test of this.
He named strong robust man, butcher by
occupation, named Dolman, 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
Dolman to the above mentioned test Each of
the three disciples of Esculapius was to 60 In
to the shop on pretense of purchasing meat,
iect of cholera, or in some way to impress him
its victim.
passing the compliments of the day with the
proprietor, ordered pound of steak. 1t was
cut and the unsuspecting man of meat began
to weigh it.
"W6y," said the doctor, "how badly you
look What is the matter with you, Dolman?"
Nothing at all" said Dolman; "never felt
heartier or better in my life.'
"But surely something ails you; you are
looking ILL.,"
"Well," said the victim, "Im very we'll, 4,
nothing at all is the matter with me-"
After looking at Dolman minute, the doc
tor passed out.
Entered then the second of the trio, who
also ordered some meat. He likewise looked
searchingly at the butcher, and then said:
"Why, Dolman, what is the matter with you ?
You are looking ill. You're 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 in his life
The doctor looked obviously at him, and
went out.
The last of the three who had "put up the
lob" on Dolman came in after awhile. he
requested the butcher to cut him off nice
piece of steak. As this request was about to
be complied with the doctor examined the
meat, and remarked in an earnest way, NO,
| i
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 Dolman to bis own
reflections, which were none of the pleas
ATTEST.
Dolman Immediately "shut up shop" and
went home. He fell sick, and had, it is said,
as genuine a case of cholera as was ever seen:
The artifce of the medical trio had succeeded
too we'll. Fortunately, the mans splendid
constitution carried him through, and ne re-
covered Had he been a man of little strength,
highly susceptible to disease, and all that, the
result very likely would have been death. j.,
But that was not all. The doctor who had
proposed the trial attended Dolman while he
was sick, and presented bill for his services.
The butcher, having no money, couldn't pay it.
To satisfy his claim, the doctor took Dolman's
horse and cart and sold them to pay his bill,
though he himself was the principal cause of
the poor fellows illness.-Fort Wayne Sentinel.