The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-04-13
OUR STORY TELLER.
THE DOCTORS STORY.


We were knot of doctors, enjoying
ourselves after a meeting of the Hippo
cratic Medical Society, whose members
were accustomed to assemble once year
for purposes of mutual edification and
improvement. DIR. Galen Cupps was in
the chair. He was our Nestor, our old
man eloquent, living professional
legendary budget. On his face you
could read Entertainment" as plainly
as you ever saw it painted on an old
fashioned tavern sign; and to it, after a
day of weary rambling over the dusty
paths of therapeutic lore, we turned as
naturally for refreshment as the tired
wayfarer halts before the inviting sign
board waving hospitable welcome to the
cheer within.
Genial DR.. Cuppsl Like Father
Grimes, that other good old man, we'll
never see him more" No monument
marks his last resting place. The guild
of undertakes, possessed they spark
of gratitude, would not suffer this to be.
As for his surviving professional
brethren, few of us, | fear have money tc
spend in that way.
How do young doctors, as a rule
get their first start?'' queried cynical
looking NJ. d. at the foot of the table
with nose as sharp as the tip of his
own lancet" leaving out, of course, ex-
ceptional cases, like that of man swal-
lowing fsh-bone, or dropping sud
denly in fit, where's there's no choice
but to seek the nearest cid. What | ask
is, how do people come to trust their
lives deliberately in inexperienced hands
What's the philosophy of itT'
Popular ignorance, probably" sug
gested one.
cor cheek in the youngster," another
limited.
cts mostly luck, l think" remarked
the chair, wherein had converged a
number of inquiring looks.
Come, doctor, give us your expe.
rience on the point" was moved and
seconded.
Mine was a case of pure luck" sale
he.
won't you tell us about itg' We
entreated. DIR. Cupps was not the mar
to refuse.
Young men nowadays" he began
center the profession with other advan
tages than we old fellows had. Tn,
public hospitals, now accessible to stu
dents, afford the opportunities to Learn
much by observation, which we wer,
left to find out through experiments OF
our own patients.
Though [ took my degree after ;
creditable examination, | doubt if
could then have distinguished, by in
spection, between the incipient stages o.
chicken-pox and measles. Had | beer
called to treat simple case of rheuma
tism, ten to one l should have found {
verdict of white-swelling, and passed {
sentence of amputation without stop
ping to ask the victim what he haC
to say against it. My first patient wa,
p Percy Topham, young man who haC
inherited splendid constitution as wei
as fortune, but was fast making way
with both. The case, no doubt, would
have fallen into Dingos hands, for h,
monopolized the practice thereabout, bu
for his absence on a distant call.
Come quick, sirp urged the mes
senger; Mr.. Percy's taking on at al
awful rate
Without staying to inquire further
/ snatched my hat and sailed forth
quite forgetting, in the excitement, tn,
new pill-bags wherein was stored my
stock of samples.
arrived to find my patient taking
on at an awful rate sure enough.
"Poker in hand, he was laying abou
him in a manner highly detrimental t.
the furniture. He was killing snakes h,
said. Had it been dogs, hydrophobi.
might have been my diagnosis; blu
snakes, knew, meant delirium tremeras
And such was the decision of Mr.. Top
hams own more practiced Judgment
for, turning toward me, in a lucic
moment:
:" I've got 'em, Doc,' he said.
/ did my best to calm him, assured
him | should bring him round, PLACED
my fingers on his pulse, and began t.
count the beats, but darting from me, hs
exclaimed:
There goes the biggest snake yet
the old serpent of all p making a SLASH
with the poker that caused me to dodge
into the corner.
Leaving two to watch him, and ac
companied by the man who had sum
moDed me, | hurried home to procure
such remedies as should conclude the
case required-a point, l must confess,
was very far from clear upon. had
been reared in temperate community
had seen little of intoxication or it,
effects, and my reading had not born,
specially in that direction.
Before reaching my Office, however
decided what course to take. Their,
was no time to consult books. Besides
was ashamed to do that in the pres
ence of the man who waited to carr,
back the physic. He would have takef
it for confession of ignorance, ant
would have lost no time in proclaimine
me q Ounce.
"Overhauling my supply of drugs
and taking little from every one, pro-