The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-23
AN INVISIBLE WOUND.

Translated from the Hungarian of Maurus Jokai
Tor the Partisan.
One of the most celebrated practition-
ers Of Pesth, Dr. K, was called upon one
morning, to receive at any early hour a
visitor In great haste, who, while waiting
in the antechamber, sent in word by the
footman that delay for him was danger
He must be received Immediately.
The doctor threw on his dressing gown
hastily and had his patient shown in.
be found himself in the presence of a
man utterly unknown to him, but who,
TO Judge of his dress and manners, evil
IDENTIFY belonged to the best society. His
pale face bore traces of great physical
and moral suffering. He carried his
right hand in sling, and in spite of his
efforts to restrain himself from time to
time stifed sigh escaped him. Seeing
the poor man stagger the doctor invited
him TO sit down.
am tired. have not slept for
week. There is something the matter
with my right hand-I do not know
what. Is it carbuncle7 Isit cancer?
At first the suffering was slight, but now
it is burning, horrible, continual pain,
increasing in immensely day by day. |
can bear it no longer. | jumped into
my carriage and here | am. | have
come to beg you to cauterize it, or to
cut out the painful part, for one more
hour of this dreadful torture would drive
me to perdition!"
The doctor asked to see the hand,
which the patient put into his, crashing
his teeth meanwhile from the intensity
of pain, while the physician proceeded
to undo the bandages with every possible
precaution,
"Above all, doctor, | leg of you not
to attach any Importance to what you
will see. My complaint is so strange
that you will be surprised, but | beseech
you to take no notice of that"
Where is the painful spot? 1t is
surprising. | see nothing"
Nor | either, and yet the pain is so
dreadful that l feel tempted to knock
my head against the wall"
The doctor took magnifying glass,
examined, and shook hs head.
The skin is full of life. The blood
circulates very regularly. Underneath
there is neither Inflammation nor cancer.
It is As healthy as any other part of your
body"
And yet it seems to me that it is
rather more red there than elsewhere"
:" Where?"
The stranger took q pencil from his
pocket-book and traced on his hand
circle as large as a 10-cent bit, with the
remark, Just there"
The doctor looked He began to
think that his patient was crazy. Re
main here" he said Z" In few days |
will cure YOU The doctor saw to his
establishment that his strange visitor
spoke seriously He took off his coat,
turned up his short sleeves and took
distoury in his left hand. A second
more and the steel would have made
deep incision in the flesh.
Stop" cried the doctor, who was
afraid that his patient through unskill-
fulness, might open some important
vein. Since you judge the operation
indispensable, so be il"
He took the bistoury, and holding in
his left hand the right hand of the
patient he begged him to turn away his
head, some people not being eble to bear
the sight of their own blood.
1T is unnecessary On the contrary,
It is l who will indicate how deep down
you must cut.
In fact, he watched the operation to
the end with the greatest possible COM
posture, indicating how far it was to go.
The open hand did not even tremble in
the doctors hand, and when the little
piece of round flesh was cut out he
heaved deep sigh, like one who expert
ences a feeling of immense relief.
:" The burning pain has ceased?"
Z" 1t has quite gone, said the stranger
with smile. "The pain has entirely
ceased as if it had been taken away
with the part cut out The slight pain
oceasioned by the bleeding is, as COM
pared with the other, like q refreshing
breeze after an internal heat. 1t does
me really good to see my blood flow.
Only let it flow, it does me so much
good"
The stranger looked with delight st
the streaming blood. The doctor was
obliged to insist upon dressing the
wound.
While he was binding it up the
patients face changed completely. The
expression of pain passed away; he
smiled on the doctor with look full of
good humor, and there was no longer any
contraction of the features, any look of
despair. he seemed 10 nave TAKEN 8
new lease of life. His brow cleared !;
the color returned to his face; his whole
person underwent a visible transforma-
ton.
When his hand was replaced in the
sling he made use of the one that re-
mained free TO shake the doctors hand
warmly, saying to him with cordiality
/" Accept my most sincere thanks. You
have positively cured me. The small
remuneration that l offer you is in no
wise proportional to the service you
have rendered me. During the rest of
my life | will try by what means | can
discharge my obligation"
The doctor, however, would not con-
sent TO accept the thousand forms placed
on The table. The stranger on his side
refused to take them back; but seeing
that the doctor was beginning to grow