The daily gazette., 1880-03-10
An Old Doctors story.
ny CDR. cUPPs."

our old man eloquent; living profess
sional 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 IL,
after day of weary rambling over the
dusty paths of therapeutic lore, we turn
ed as naturally for ref eshment as the
tired wayfayer balts before the inviting
sign-board waving hospital welcome to
the cheer within.
Genial DIR. Cuppsl Like Father
Grimes, that good old soul, "we ne'er
shall see him more" No monument
marks his last resting place. The guild
of undertakers, possessed they a spark
of gratitude, would suffer this to be.
AS for his surviving professional, bre-
thren, few of us, fear, have monay TO
spend In tbst way. .fSssas - IL
'sHow do young doctors, as a rule,
get their first start ?" queried cynical
looking NJ. d. at the foot of the table,
with a nose as sharp as the point of his
| own Notwithstanding out of course,
exceptional cases, ike that OF a man
swallowing fish-bone. or dropping sud-
denly into fit, where there's no choice
but to seek the nearest aid, What ask
is. how do people come To- trusts ,theii
lives deliberatelyA In %fnexpefieneed
hands ? What's the. philosophy OF
u?"
"Popular ignorance, probably" sug-
gesied one.
"Or cheek in the .youngster," another
limited,
"lt's mostly luck, think" remarked
The chair, whereon had converged a
number Of inquIring looks.
"Come, doctor, give us your expert
ence on the point" was moved aud sec
oned.l II ibF Nt II ! u I
"Mihe was a case Of pure luck said
| he.
"Won't you tell us about it ?" we en-
treated.
DIR. Cupps was not the man to re.
fuse.
"Young men now adays,n he began
"enter the profession with others ad
vantages than we fellows had. THE
public hospitals, now accessible to stu
dents, afford opportunities to learn
much by observation which we were
left to fipd out through experiments up.
ON our own patients. iiiilh llht
"Though | took my degree after a
credltable examination, l doubt if
| could then have distinguished, by in
srection, between the incipient stage,
Of chicken-pox and measles. Had
been called to treat a simple case O
rheumatism, ten to one l should have
found verdict of white-swelling, an,
passed asseHtence Of amputatiop, with
ont stopping 70 ask the victim, What ht
lad to say against it. My first patien
! was Percy Topham, young man wht
had inherited splendid constitution
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 there
about, but for his absence on a distant
call.
"'Come quick, sirp urged themes.
senger 'Mr. Percy's taking on at al
awful rate.' e - A.t-k y1Asj
"WIthout staying to inquire further ]
snatched my hat and sailed forth, quit,
forgetting, in the excitement, the nev
pill-bags wherein was stored my stool
of samples.
csIarrived to find my patient taking
on at an awful rate, sure enough.
Poker in hand, he was laying about
HIM in a manner highly detrimental Il
the furniture. He was killing snakes
he said. Had it been dogs, hydropho
bia might have been my diagnosis; .bhl
snakes, knew, meant delirlum tremens
And such was the detision of Mr.. Top
hams own more practiced judgment
for, turning to me in lucid moment:
" 1've got 'em, Doc he said.
81 did my best to calm him, assured
him should bring him round, placed
my fingers on his pulse, and began tC
count the beats, but, darting from me,
he exclaimed sT =
"sThere goes the biggest. snake yet;
the old serpent of all' 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
moned me, hurried home to procure
such remedies as | should conclude tn,
case required-a point, / must confess
| was very far from clear upon. | haC
been reared in very temperate com
munity, had seen little of tintoxieatior
or its effects, and my reading had no
borne 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 presenc,
| of the man who waited TO carry .lbaeI
| tile physic. He would have taken IL for
confession of ignorance, and would hav,
lost no tune in proclaiming me 1
dunces
verhauling my supply of drugs. ant
| taking a tile from every one, produc
ed mix ~.re, some element of which
hoped might prove of service.
f'Give him a teaspoonful OF 1t every
half hour, said TO the man, handing
him the bottle, on which was careful
not to put a label.
Mot caring TO be present to witness
the effect of my maiden prescription,
Tell Mr.. Topham I'll call in the morn
sswhateyer M patient did, ! passed a
bad night. OF Mi cases in which 10 m AXE
debtft, why should the malignant fstes
send the very one most likely to expose
me? rer rec
with many .miseivings i presented
myself next morning at the patients
door. was glad 10 see there was no
Grape omit Passing the seryant-who adj
mitted me, hurried trem bling to the
| sick room. faEsffGG9
"'Good morning, doc,' cried the IN
valid, rising from a sumptuous breakfast
wiplng his mouth with one hand ami tx
| tending the other. BY George, you did
bring me through faraOuslyl That stuff
was mighty nasty, but 1t did the bust.
| ness. I'm sound AS IA dollar this morn