The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-03-19
A MEDICAL MYSTERY.

had passed away since we had last met and
parted. He then held a variety OF political
appointments, which looked rather imposing
when put down on paper, but which meant
a great expenditure of time and costly med
icine at remuneration that was exceedingly
unremunerative. But all good things come
to the man who works and waits. had
been delighted to hear OF my old friends
success; and when 1 awaited myself of his
standing invitation to "bestow myself" upon
him for short time, 1 was equally delighted
to find that prosperity had not in the slight
est degree harmed him. 1t had acted like
kindly sun and soft breezes in eliciting the
best flowers and fruits of character.
One night sat late with him after dinner,
discussing the wine and walnuts; the ladies
had gone to an evening party, for which,
after busy day. we hardly felt up to the
mark. We talked of old friends and times,
and of professional chances. happened to
say to him:
You doctors see an immense amount of
character and incident. The medical is GER
tainly a very lively and dramatic profession.
/ suppose few men know more family secrets
than the doctors; more than the lawyers,
more than the parsons"
Yes; patients often go into the comics.
sional, but we never tell the secrets of the
confessional"
But tell me this: have you seen much of
what is called the romance of crime, or
crime without any romance 1t all; the old
cases which get into the courts, and which
the novellsts work up for their stories?''
81 am afraid that you have been cultivatlng
a taste for sensational fiction. [ am sure
7 shall "a ahla N N that
way"
You have seen nothing of the sort?''
Nothing. Such cases, OF course, occur
from time to time, but they are so lost in
the mass of medical practice. that few men.
unless they are specialists-by which L
mean chiefly the toxicologists-see anything
of them, There are doctors who can tell
you any amount of tales about poisons; but
my own line has always been prosaic, pay
ing, and practical"
that every man meets with something re-
markable in his time if he can only detect
the element of the marvellous"
No doubt you are right" said my friend !;
and then, as he smoked the medit2tive
cigar. he exclaimed, after pause; You re-
mind me of some old circumstances. Yes,
there really was something very mysterious
which happened to me once, and l never
have been able to detect the secret of it. l
should be glad to get your opinion of it.
This is the story:
II was called out one night after dinner
to attend lady, who, 1 was informed, was
suffering from sudden and severe illness.
Sensible people, when they send to doctor
are careful to explain the exact symptoms of
a case. The doctor then comes prepared.
He is often able to bring the precise remedies
with him. He saves time, and this is often
the same thing as saving life. All that the
messenger, a boorish- looking man in kind
of livery, could tell me was summat in the
stomach Most illnesses might. more or
less. be referred to something of the kind,
and practically the fellow proved more cor.
rect than / had supposed.
1T was after dinner, ct the end of hard
days work. / bad been in consultation for
hours and driving about for hours. had
got my feet into my slippers; there was the
easy chair, the evening paper, and decanter
of old port, which had been given me by q
grateful and equity patient Still, the case
was urgent; it might possibly be lucrative
and true hearted doctor, above all things,
never allows an appeal in case of suffering to
be made to him in vain. / did not think il
necessary to send for my carriage, but
stepped out into the street. The wind was
roaring in great gusts, keeping back the rain,
which threatened to fall heavily after a
time.
I'VE went to big house in c big square.
had noticed the house before, and not incur
Iously; walls and windows had Away.
seemed so blank. never had observed any
signs of life in the house. Once had asked
who lived there, and was told, Oh that's DC
Miss Brinckman's house the interlocuto
had evidently thought that knew all abou
old Miss Brinckman; but this vas by nc
msans the case. had afterwards found oui
that she was old inirm, without near friend
and relatives, and somewhat peculiar anC
eccentric in her ways.
NV old notions about the house were
strengthened as l walked upstairs. As
passed from floor to floor, by room aftel
room, there was no sign or sound of habita
ton. The furniture was handsome aud
heavy; the feet fell noiselessly on the thici
carpets Not IN the best bedroom, but II
quite the second best bedroom lay Mis-
Brinckman, the mistress OF the house He
features were pinched with suffering, ant
she was in a state of great restlessness auC
anxiety. As the man truly said, there wa
'summat the matter with the stomach Sh'
was YER ill; but the symptoms did not pre-
sent anything especially abnormal Few
medical cases are exactly alike-a fact which
perhaps, explained one or two slight varis
ment of this kind l thought over tn
course of treatment ebundantly indicates
by the symptoms and sat down and wrote
customary prescription. which, in the ordi
nary course, would undoubtedly be fol
lowed by beneficial effects. 1 observed tina
Inc DeQrcOm was soLucWudt ul1Sy dut
penurious, and out of character with III
rest of the house. The nurse, however, toll
me that this was the invalid's fsvorite Toom
and that she preferred it to any other apsr
ment. There was, of course. no arguin
about tastes, and 1 was glad 10 get BAG
home.
II generally go out to make my calls
soon as I have finished with my morDir
receptions-about noon. felt so perfect
secure about Miss Brinckmans case that
called upon her nearly last of all. In Il
ordinary condition of things she ought
have been much better. and fairly gettiI
on toward conYalescence. This, howeve
was by no means the case. Toe patient "
restless, feverish, complained OF sicknes
pain, and great thirst The symptoms we
perfectly consistent with the supposed col
plant: but, ON the other hand, they we
also consistent with arsenical poisoning.
was of no use, however, to think OF unnatr
Il causes when natural causes might sufdt
did not know the patients constitutio