Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-08-28
An INVISIBLE WOUND.

One Of the most celebrated practition-
ers of Pesth, Dr.. K, was called upon
one morning to receive at an early
hour a visitor in great haste, who, while
waiting in an anto-chamber, sent in
word by the lOotman 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.
He found himself in the presence of
a man utterly unknown to him, but
who, to Judge by his dress and manners,
evidently belonged to the best society.
His pale face bore traces ofgreat physi-
cal and moral suffering. He carried
his efforts to restrain himself from time
to time a stifled sigh escaped him. See
ing the poor man stagger the doctor in
viteT him to sit down.
~ am tired, have not slept for a
week. There IS something the matter
with my right hand-I do not know
what. Is it a carbuncle? Is it can
Ger? AT first the suffering was slight,
but now it is a burning continual pain,
increasing in intensity 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
teeth meanwhile from the intensity
CT pain, while the physician proceeded
to undo the bondages with every posi-
bic preCautiOn.
"Above all, doctor, l beg of you not to
attach any importance to what you 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? It is
surprising. | see nothing
''Nor / either; and yet the pain there
is so dreadful that | feel tempted to
knock my head against the wall"
The doctor took a magnifying-glass,
examined, and shook his head.
''The skin Is full of life. The blood
circulates very regularly. Underneath
there is neither Inflammation nor can
Ger. 1t 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"
"Whece%
The stranger took pencil from his
pocket-bOok and traced on his hand a
circle as large as q ten cent bit with the
remark, Gust there"
The doctor looked. He began to
think that his patient was crazy.
"Remain here" he said, '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 shirt-sleeyes and took a
bistoury 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 unskil-
fulnesss might open some important
vein. 'Since you judge the operation
indispensable so be it."
He took the bistoury, and holding in
his left hand the right hand of his
patient he begged him to turn away
his head, some people not being able to
bear the sight of their own blood.
at is unnecessary! On the contrary,
it is | who will indicate how deep down
you must cut"
In fact. he watched the operation to
the end with the greatest possible COM
posure, 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 a deep sigh, like one who ex-
perences immense relief:
THE burning has ceased p
1T has quite gone" said the stranger
with Il smile. "The pain has entirely
ceased, as if it had been taken away
with the part cut Off The slight pain
occasioned 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 at
the streaming blood. The doctor was
obliged to insist upon dressing the
wound
While he was binding it the patient s
face changed completely. The express
sion of pain passed away; he smiled
on the doctor with look full Of good
humor, and there was no longer any
look of despair He seemed 10 have
taken a new lease of his life. His brow
cleared; the color returned to his face;
his whole person underwent a visible
transformation.
When his hand was replaced in the
sling he made use of the one that re-
manned free to shake the doctors hand
warmly, saying to him with cordially.
accept my most sincere thanks. You
have positively cured me. The small
remuneration that | offer you is in wise
proportional to the service you have
rendered me. During the rest of my
life will try by what means | can dis
charge my obligation"
The doctor however, would not con-
sent to accept the thousand tlorins
placed on the table. The stranger on
his side refused to take them back
but seeing that the doctor was begin
ming to grow angry, he begged that he
bestow them on some hospital and so
took his leave
The doctor informed several of his
colleagues of this singular case and
each formed different opinion on the
subject without, however, any of them
being able to give a plausible explana-
ton. Toward the end of a month DIR.
K. received letter dated f1om the
patients residence. He opened it. 1t
was closely written and he saw by the