River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-04-11
THE DOCTORS STORY.

THE DOCTORS STORY.
We were a knot of doctors, enjoying
ourselves after meeting of the Hippo
cratic Medical Society, whose mem ers
we're accostumed to assemble once year
for purposes of mutual edification and i'm
provement. DR.. Galen Cupps was in the
chair. He was our Nestor, our old man
eloquent, a living professional legendary
budget. On his face you could read EN-
tertainment' as plainly as you ever saw
it painted on an old fashioned taven
sign; and to it, after day Of weary ram
bling over the dusty paths of therapeutic
lore, we turned as naturally for retreshr
ment as the tired wayfarer halts Jefore
the inviting signboard waving hospitable
welcome to the cheer within.
GENIAL DR.. Cupps! Like Father Grimes,
that other good old man, wei. never see
him more" No monument marks his
last resting place. The guild of under
takers, possessed they a spark of gratitude,
would not suffer this to be. As for his
surviving professional brethren, few OF us,
fear, have money to spend in that way.
How do young doctors, as rule, get
their start!" queried cynical-iooking
NJ D. at the foot of the table, with a
nesc as sharp as the tipo his own lancet
-"leaving out, of course, exceptional
cases, like that of man swallowing a
! fish-bone, or dropping suddenly IN tit,
where there's no choice but to seek the
nearest aid. What ask is, how do peo-
pie come to trust their lives deliberately
lap ha
philosophy of itl"
Popular ignorance, probably" sug-
| gested one.
"Or cheek In the youngsrer," another
/ limited
ats mostly luck. | think" remarked
the chair, wherein had converged num-
| Der of inquiring looks.
i "Come, doctor, give us your experience
on the point, was moved and seconded.
milne was case of pure luck said
he.
"Won't you tell US about it, we en-
| treated.
! DIR. Cupps was not the man to refuse.
"Young men nowadays" he began.
''enter the profession with other advan-
tages than we old fellows had. The pub
| lie hospitals, now accessible to students,
| afford them opportunities to learn much
| by observation, which we we're left to
| find out through experiments.
Though | took my degree after a
creditable examination, doubt if could
then have distinguished, by inspection,
between the incipient stages of chicken
pox and measles. Had been called to
treat a simple case of rheumatism, ten to
| one | should have found verdict of
wiIite-swelling, and passed a sentence OF
amputation without stopping TO ask the
victim what he had to say against it. My
first patient was Percy Topham, a youn e
man who had inherited splendid consti-
tuition as well as fortune, but was fast
making way with both The case, no
doubt, would have fallen into Dingo's
hands, for he monopoliZed the practice
thereabout, but for his absence on dis
tant cali.
".Come quick sir !urgcd the messenger; ;
Mr. Percy's taking on at an awful rate.
Without staying to inquire further, !
snatched nv hat an sailed forth, quite
forgetting, in the excitement, the new
pill bags wherein was stored my stock of
samples.
ii arrived to find my patient taking
on at an awful rate, sure enough.
"Poker in han', he was laying ubout
him in n amer highly detrimental to
the furniture. He was killing snakes, he
said. Had it been dogs, hydrophobia
might have been my diagnosis; but
snakes, knew, meant delirium treH1ens.
And such was tue decision Of Mr.. Top
hams own more practiscd judgment, tor,
turning toward me, in a lucid moment:
I've got EN-, Doc" he said.
" dld my best to calm him, assured
him | should bring him round, placed
my fingers on his pulse, and began to
count the beats, but, darting from me, he
exclaimed:
There goes the biggest snake yet
the old serpent Of alll' making slash
with the poker, which caused me to
dodge into corner.
" Leaving two to watch him, and ac
companitd by the man who had sum-
moned me, | hurried home to prepare
such remedies as | should conclude the
case required--a point, must confess, ]
was very far from clear spon. | had
been reared in a temperate community.
had seen little of intoxication or its effects,
and my reading had not borne specially
IN that direction.
Before reaching my office, however, |
decided what course TO take. There was
no time to consult books. Besides, was
ashamed to do that in the presence Of the
man who waited to carry back
the physic. He would have taken it as a
confession of ignorance, and would have
lost no time in proclaiming me to be
Ounce.
Overhauling my supply of drugs, and
taking little from every one, produced
mixture, same element Of which might
prove a service.
"sGive Kim tablespoonful of il every
half hour" | said to the man, handing
him the bottle, on whice | was careful
to put no label
. Not caring to be present to witness
the effect of my prescription, Tell Mr..
Topham I'll call in the morning, said
Whatever my patient did, passed
bad night. OF all cases in which to make
nv debut, why should the malignant fates
send the very one most likely to expose
met