Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-12-01
A PHYSICIANS STORY.
BY J. F. F.

|
for several years I have been unable tt
continue the practice Of my profession
Yet, as a matter of habit, as kind O
second nature, a day rarely passes with
out finding me at my Office, as still cal
the little dusty den away out of hearing
of the noise and crash of the street.
| Yesterday, as was sitting there alone
a friend came in and gave me a long
garrulous account of a skeleton that
had been but an hour before dsinterred
| in the heart of the city by some workmen
digging for the foundation of building.
1t was the skeleton of woman, he said.
looked at him sharply, and satisfied
myself that he told this merely as a
piece ofintelligence. Heaven helped me
to keep composed, Ithink. This was
my dread secret!
"And some physicians gave it as their
opinion that this skeleton had lainunder
ground quite fifty years. he continued.
bit my lips; they were white enough
before. Cunning fellows, these brother
physicians of mine. 1t was exactly fifty
years!
''But nobody could recognize the
bones, of course"
| | breathed more freely.
''There was one remarkable thing,
however, about this singular exhuma-
ton. Upon the fourth bony finger of
the left hand brilliant diamond ring
was discovered, which sparkled and
scintillated as clearly as though it had
not been for half century covered by
the mold"
! The speaker did not notice at that
point how nervously | closed my left
hand. I did not care to have him see
the counterpart of the ornament he had
described at that moment.
|
Somewhat more than fifty years ago,
and in this very room where | write, |
concluded the long weary probation of
my student life, and entered singly upon
the practice Of my profession. My sue
cess was immediate and gratifying.
Those who had been long and firmly es-
tablisbed in the city were astonlshed to
find themselves supplanted in a day, as
it we're, by one they had hitherto affect
ed to despise. To be brief, l was sue
cesSful almost beyond precedent; bust
ness and money came at my command,
and the city resounded with praises of
my skill, and the wonderful cures had
performed.
l was called from bed at midnight up
on one occasion, and directed in the
most urgent manner 70 repair to the
house of Judge c.. The house indi-
Gated was the house ofone of the wealth
lest and proudest families of B., and
! obeyed the summons as soon as posi-
bic. 1t was with difficulty that | ascer-
tanned, amid the sobs and tears that greet
ed my arrived, that Helena c., the
only and ldolized daughter of the fami-
ly, and the acknowledged belle and
beauty of the city, had been suddenly
attacked with violent malady.
1t needed but one glance at the suf-
ferer to assure me of this. Although
perfectly we'll an hour before, she was
now nearer death than life. The dis
ease that had seized her was one of the
most malignant and quickly fatal with
which my experience had yet made me
conversant. She lay perfectly motion
less, her lips as rigid as those of death,
and the closest scrutiny could detect no
respiration; while upon each cheek
burned a single fiery spot, the sure mark
OF Inc destroyer.
"Can you save her ?" was the fathers
agonized question.
The chances are nlnety-nine in a hun.
dred against her living an hour" was
the reply. Nevertheless, / will leave
nothing undone."
My end was accomplished. For thirty |
six consecutive hours l sat by her bed
side, warily combating the fatal disease
which had assaulted her, when at last |
pronounced her out of danger felt that
had almost wrought a miracle. This
was another triumph added to my list, |
and the report of my fame was IN every
mouth.
But this was not the only consequence
of the occurrence. The discovery that |
my lovely and amiable patient regarded !
me with Il warmth of emotion and graft |
itude which only her own warm heart
could conceive, filed me with feelings
of the livliest pleasure. She regarded
me as her benefactor, her savior-in
short, she loved me most fervently. | !