The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-14
A DOCTORS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
From a Cubahatchee Cabin to the Palaces of
ROyalty-IeaveS from Great Life.

1.-THE Story of My Life" by the late DR..
J. Marion Sims, is an exceedingly interest
ing autobiography not merely to physicians,
| but to other men and women. Charles
Reade says an intelligent sailor is better
company than two lawyers, two bishops, three
soldiers and four writer's of plays and tales
all rolled together He was wiser than to place
the intelligent physician in the category over
against the SKINNER of the seas. The observing
physician sees life as no other mortal can see it,
and sounds all the deeps and shadows of human
frailty. There is not an arid page in the autobi-
ography-a man of flesh and blood, great hui
manitaran, all alive, tells the story of his life
with wholesome plainness and charming enthusl-
asm. DR. Sims was born in Lancaster county,
South Carolina, Jan. % 1913. On his motherssde
he was descended from the great Scottish free
booter, Rob Roy McGregor. His paternal grand
father Sherrod Sims was English, born in Virginia
in 1880 The first pages of the autobiography
filled with incidents of his school and college
life. He attended Columbia College, South
Carolina, and graduated liz December, 1892
Soon after he discovered himself to be violently
in love with Theresa Jones and miserable be
cause too poor to marry. But he did marry her
subsequently, and they lived together fifty years,
she surviving him. His father wanted him to
be lawyer but he had no inclination for that
profession and studied medicine with DR..
Churchill Jones-father of Theresa-attended
lectures at Charleston, went to Jefferson Med
ical College at Philadelphia, graduated and re-
turned to South Carolina in May, 1885
AN oLD-TIME SURGEON.
Gin Jefferson Medical College," writes the
Doctor, land great gun, was the famous Pro
lessor Mcclellan. At the time L was student
the distinguished General George B. Mcclellan
was little boy four five years old. L used
to pat him on the head and give him sixpences
to buy gingerbread and tafy. Professor Nc
Clellan frequently honored me by invitation
to assist him in surgical operations, and
remember very remarkable case
on which he operated. 1t was case
in which he exsected a portion of a
necrosed rib without injury to the pleural
cavity. He talked to the patient all the time of
his operation, Cor it was before the days of an@s
thetics, and when it required great nerve to be a
good physician. He would gouge and chisel
and work away, and say to the man, Courage,
my brave fellow, courage; we wound but to
heal; it will soon be over Then he would
work away again, and again he would cheer up
the patient by saying, Courage, my good fell
low; be brave, for we wound but to heal; 1t will
soon be over. Courage, my dear fellow; it will
soon be over
HIS FIRST PATIENTS.
His first patient was a baby. II examined
the child minutely from head to foot 1 looked
at its gums, and as 1 had surgical propensities
and always carried lancet with mo, as soon as
1 saw some swelling of the gums 1 took out my
lancet and cut them down to the teeth. This
was good so far as it went, but had no more
idea of what allied the child or what to do for it
than if l had never studied medicine. l had
nobody to consult but my seven volumes of
| Eberle" He made out prescription from
| Eberle--several prescriptions. The child
died. In few days another baby patient and
that too died. again had to be chief mourner
at the funeral of another little lost citizen of
| Lancaster. ! went home saddep than ever I
Just took the long tin sign board from nv office
door. There was old well back of the house
| covered over with boards. | went to the we'll,
took that sign with me- dropped it in there and
covered the old well over again. was no longer
doctor in the town of Lancaster l made up
my mind to leave my country for my countrys
good, and establish home in the far West.
However, had one other patient in
Lancaster, and he was the rich man of the town,
old Captain McKenna, who owned half the vii
lage and one hundred slaves. He would get on
sprees occasionally and they always wound up
with delirum tremens. He was On one of his
old blow-outs, and to my great surprise sent for
me. | attended him very carefully for two days
and nights, and got him over his frolic. He was
delighted, and gave me a ten-dollar bill That
was the first money ever made in the practice
of medicine, and the only money ever got in
| Lancaster The patients that ought to have lived
died. and the one that oughtto have died got well"
PLEASANT OLD BLooD-sPILLER
in October, 1885, Dr. Sims went to Mount
Meigs, Ala, and, marrying Theresa located there.
"There were two doctors there. The
other was Dr. Childers. He had an enormous
reputation as doctor. He bled and purged and
gave medicine from the time he was called to the
patient until the patient was called away. If
the patient survived DR.. Childers and the disease
together he had lease of life that would carry
him up to old age He was small, rather stoop-
shouidered, always walked with his hands if
he was tired, holding one hand on each lapel of
his coat, his head stopped over to side-he
seemed to be pulled over in that direction by an
| enormous He had pleasant voice, sell
dom raised it above whisper and always spoke
in sort of confidential way to everybody and
on any subject. He believed in the lancet, and
it rarely he didn't bleed his patient; it made
no difference what the disease was. | we'll re-
member his inviting me to go into the country
once to see patient, Miss Ashurst She was
a very beautiful woman in the last stages of con
sumption She had the usual afternoon hectic
Pushes of this ruthless disease She was moth
ing but a skeleton, and certainly had few
days to live. But DR.. Childerss theory
was that the lancet was necessary wherever the
patient had the least appearance of fever.
What was my surprise when DR.. Chill
ders said, Miss Ashurst, believe as you have
good deal of fever, will have to draw little
blood from you This was said in the sweetest,
| mildest most gentemanly tones possible So he
| took from his pocket cord and drew it over the
little skeleton above the elbow Presently
| the blood came trickling down from the elbow,
and when tablespoonful had rum the poor lit
tie woman tainted and fell over. All, said he,
that is Just what wanted. Now she will be
better and she was better, but it was the bet
| ter that comes with death"
LEARNING TACT.