The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-03-25
THE DOCTORS STORY.

Galen Cupps was in the chair. He was our
Nestor, our old man eloquent, living profes-
sional legendary budget. On his face you
could read ENTERTAINMENT as plainly as
/ you saw it printed on an old-fashioned tavern
! sign and to it, after a day of weary ramb
I ling, over the dusty paths OF therapeutic lore,
/ we turned as naturally for refreshment as
/ the tired wayfarer balts before the inviting
( signboard waving hospitable welcome to the
/ cheer within.
Genial DR.. CUpps Like Father Grimes,
/ that cood old man, ''weH never see him any
more" No monument marks his last rest
! ing place. The guild of undertakers, pos
/ sessed they a spark of gratitude, would not
suffer this to be. AS for his surviving pro-
/ fess5onal brethren, few Of US, l fear, have
money to spend in that way.
/ "How do young DOCTORS as a rule get their
staTt?' queried a cynical-looking NJ. D. at
the foot of the table, with nose as sharp as
the tip of his own lancet-'leaviHg out, of
/ course, exceptional cases, like that of a man
/ swallowing a fish bone or dropping sudden
ly into a fit, where there is no choice but to
seek the nearest aid. What I ask is, how do
people come to trust their lives deliberately
in inexperienced hands 20
popular ignorance, probably suggested
I one.
COR check in the youngster," another hint
1 ed.
'It's mostly luck, think" remarked the
. chair, whereupon had converged a number
of inquiring looks.
"Come, DOCTOR give US your experience on
the point - was seconded and carried.
''NIine was case of pure luck" said he.
'Won't you tell US about it 2" we entreat-
ed.
Dr. Cupps was not the man to refuse.
''YOung men nova days he began Zen
ter the profession with other advantages than
we old fellows had. The public hospitals,
now accessible to students, afford them op-
portunities to learn much by observation,
which We were left to find out through ex-
periments on our patients.
"Though I took my degree after a credit
able examination, l doubt if l could then
have distinguished, by inspection, between
the incipient stages of chicken-pox and mea-
sles Had ! been called to treat simple
case Of rheumatism, ten to one l should have
found a verdict of whites swelling, and pass
ed a sentence of amputation without stop
ping to ask the victim what he had to say
against IT. My patient was Percy Topham,
young man who had inherited splendid
constitution as well as fortune, but was fast
making way with both. The case, 10 doubt
would have fallen into Dingo's hands, for he
monopolized the practice thereabout, but for
his absence on distant call.
Come quick, sir - urged the messenger;
''NIr. Percys taking on at an awful rate"
without staying to inquire further I
p H..
getting. in the excitement, the new pill bags
wherein was stored my stock Of samples
q arrived to find my patient taking on at
: an awful rate, sure enough.
''Poker in hand, he was lying about him in
a manner highly detrimental to furniture.
/ He was killing snakes, he said Had it been
dogs, hydrophobia might have been my dag
, nosis; but snakes, / knew, meant delirium
, tremens And such was the decision Mr.
, TopEam's own more practiced judgment,
for, turning toward me, in lucid moment ;
I've got 'em, Doc, he said.
81 did my best to calm him, assured him /
, should bring him around, placed my finger
on his pulse and began to count the beats,
but, darting from me- he exclaimed:
'"There goes the biggest snake yet-the
Oldserpent of all !''' making slash with the
poker, which made me dodge into a corner.
: 'Ieaving two to watch hm, and accom-
panied by the man who had summoned me,
= l hurried home to prepare such remedies as
: l should conclude the case required-a point
I must confess, 1 was very far from clesl
t upon. l had been raised in a temperate
: community, had seen little intoxication or its
effects, and my reading had not borne espec
tally in that direction.
''Before reaching my Office, however ! de
} cided what course to take There was nC
time to consult books. Besides, ] wa;
! ashamed to do that in the presence of the
5 man who waited to carry back the physic
] He would have taken it as a confession OF
e ignorance, and would have lost no time il
. proclaiming me Ounce.
t ''Overhauling my stock of drugs, and TAX
ing little from every one, produced mix
ture, some element OF which 1 hoped NIGH
1 prove service.
''Glve him a tablespoon of it every hal
Y hour" I said to the man, handing him tht
T bottle, on which 1 was careful to put no label
"Not caring to be present to witness tn,
+ effect of my maiden prescription, Tell Mr.
= Tcpham I'll c all in the morning, l said.
''W hatever my patient did, passed bat
!, night. OF all cases in which to make de
| but, why should the malignant fates send tn
q very one most likely to expose me?
. "With many misgivings presented mysel
! next morning at the patients door. ] wa
p glad to see there was no Grape on the it.
a hurried, trembling to the sick room.
q " 'Good-morning, Doc, cried the invalid
J rising from a sumptuous breakfast, wipin
? his mouth with one hand and extending m
\ the other. BY George, you did bring m
O through famously! That stuff was might
t nasty, but it did the business. I'm as SCUM
a as dollar this morning. -
Before 1 could reply, a serving-man en-
5 tered, the same by whom sent the medicine
n :" What's the matter, Dick p said ToI
z ham.
a Boxers dead, sir
is Dead The deuce! There's a 20
suppose you forgot to call at Bolts, the ia
rier's for that drenca yesterday just lik
J. you when my back is turned
. ono sir the man replied I stOppe
Il and got it on my way from the doctors an
e gave it according to directions
u " just my luckr cried Topham, smitir
y the table. You see, Doc, Boxer was my ia:
q trotter. 1 counted on winning a mint ,
Sc money on him on the coming races, and no
Is he's gone and kicked the bucket. We
= ! peace to his names ; as the poet says Her