Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-12-01
LETTERS TO A COUNTRY DOCTOR.

LETTERS TO A COUNTRY DOCTOR.
For the last three or four years have
been making collection of the curious
or quaint letters sent to me by my poorer
patients, and though, from the nature
Of the contents, L cannot make public
all that is written, l will, with your
permission, give some extracts from
them, which will tend to afford some
information rs to the photography and
modes of expression in common use by
some of the rural inhabitants of Hertford-
shire. The extracts are copied literally
from the originals, and are absolutely
correct, except as regards the names,
which are, for obvious reasons, dis
guised-
The knowledge of anatomy exhibited
in the following is very poor:
my cough is som better, but when
cough it causes awful pain on the left
side of the stomock below the hip.
have aploide letseed poultes."
A deeper insight into anatomical de-
tails is shown by the person who wrote:
II feel very full at the chest where
the digestive organs lie, especially after
meals"
Another writes most emphatically:
''if you pleas sir would you be so kind
has to send me hay bottle of meadson,
for hi have got such hay pain hay cross
my stickamat."
The next extract is very quaint:
TO Mr.. Blank, Surgent. plese sir i
write beeing unable to come myself feel
ING so tirde and i'll. cannot rest any
where such coffeing and soriness and be-
numbfells and trembleing with much
weekning-'
The patient evidently meant to say
that she had feelings of numbness with
much weakness.
More explicit was the poor woman
who wrote:
II have such bad crying stericks witch
causes me such pains in my chest and
heart makes me teel very weak"
The next example shows that the per-
son who wrote it had conquered the diff
culties of photography, but had very
confused idea of the use of pronouns:
"Mrs. Johnson's head is little better
when put my arm out straight there is
such tingling in my thumb, but her
medicine makes me feel sick" ch
A poor man came to the surgery one
day, and, fearing he would be unable to
see me personally to explain his symp-
toms, had written the following letter
I which he handed TO me, as happened
to be disengaged:
''Sir YOU gave me bottle of medicine
about tree weeks ago for my cold at the
chest and the small of the back. My
cold was begingeing to come out of me
nicely, but i could not see you the next
time. / feel little stuff up at the chest
as if little fem wants looseing; sir,
my kind thanks to you for a mother
bottle" sWNN
The following patient had evidently
tried to cure himself before applying to
bus medical man; he writes:
-@Will you be kind enough to send me
something to ease very sad pain in
my inside, for / have beigp suffering
since yesterday at noon. have had
brandy and whisky and several things
but nothing don't give me any relefe
The latter part of the next letter re-
minds Eae of the famous lines in Mac
beth: IF it were done, when It's done,
then 'twei'c well it were done quickly:"
''Mrs. Stone wanted your opinion as
to whether anything could be done for
him by sending him away anywhere,
she would be glad if anything could be
done, to have it done, if you thought it
couldibe done"
Very affecting is the following epistle,
received from poor woman whose
husband was in extremist
"Sm: My poor dear husband is sc
much worse, his poor harm is in such
dreadful pain and so swollen. Coud you
doc anything to ease him, and his tongue
is coated dreadful. and cannot get any
food down him. / am broke for Lini-
ment and medeson, do cindly come as
soon as possible from you Respectfully.
j. WATERS. "
AS is also the following: "He was
taken with sinking and guddy feel,
aud we thought be would die for hour
or two"
1t is very gratifying to medical man
to hear that patient is better, and that
be attributes the good result to his doc