The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-02-07
An Interesting Patient.

| fE1WO men sat in pleasant room
in city clearinghouse, chat
~ ting confidentially. Both were
rs young, somewhere between
twenty five and thirty, and both
were enthusiastic students of the
noble profession of medicine. They
had become intimate at college,
and a strong friendship existed thai
had known no jar or break. DR.
Wilfred Atkinson was a western
man, coming from Illinois; while
DR.. Frederick Read claimed a New
England town for his birthplace.
1t was Fred Read who said:
'You will accept this offer?''
"Accept?" cried his friend, 81
should think so. 1t is what l want
most in the world. You see, have
always been more interested in the
study of insanity than in any other
form of disease, and to be resident
physician in an asylum, where l
have only made weekly visits, gives
me opportunity for study that /
could not have elsewhere"
eyes, l know all that; but it will
be very confning. l think l prefer
general practice, after all. But you
may expect to see me often. How
/ shall miss you, old fellow!
And then the talk drifted into
other channels, until DIR. Atkinson
discovered that it was time for his
train to L., where his new home
and field of duty lay.
"You will come over often" he
urged, in parting from his friend;
''and if [ am busy or away, make
yourself at home. The grounds are
large, and very pleasant, and if you
meet any of the patients, be sure
those who are allowed to roam about
inside the walls are harmless. Some
of them are absolutely sane on
every point but one; touch that and
off they go. But the eyes tell the
story"
Yes; it is hard to hide it there"
''And contradiction brings out
the truth. AS long as the delu
sions are humored they are gener-
ally amiable enough; but once cross
them-whewr'
II shall come over often and hear
the results of your experience. My
enormous practice takes about
three hours a day"
In pursuance of this promise DR..
Read took the train about once
week and spent an hour or two
with his friend, finding him gener
ally busy. as his duties included
general superintendent of the asy
lum and details that were quite in
dependent of professional work.
Still, he took it all as a part of his
new life, and gave his mind as fully
to ordering groceries and towels as
he did to writing prescriptions and
cases.
But Fred, as he became familiar
with the place, began to share his
interest in the study of
mental disorders, and would often
spend hours roaming the wards and |
grounds with only a few words to
DR.. Atkinson.
1t was when June was young and |
The air soft and pleasant that DIR.
Read, strolling about in the pretti-
est part of the grounds, saw lady |
IN a summer house whose face at
5racted him at once. 1t was very |
pale face and the large dark eyes
we're languid, while the slender fig |
1re seemed weak as if from recent
illness. But it was, too, a beauti-
full young face, shaded by waving
brown hair, and with purely oval
outline and regular features.
GA new patient" was Fred's men
tai exclamation. "What a lovely !
facet
Then he sauntered over to the
summer house and spoke to the
lady. To his CONSERVATION she
started, gave q quick, gasping sob,
and tainted. 1t was not q very |
long insensibility, and under Fred's
quick treatment the large eyes
opened, and she whispered:
90, / am so very sorry to trouble
you! But 1 have been very i'll, and
you startled me-
''I was very much to blame" he
said penitently, land 1 hope you
will pardon me. Are you well
enough now for me to run up to the
house for a glass of wine?'
81 am well enough, but [ do not
need it," and she sat up again and
took up piece of needle-work that
had dropped from her hands. Her
still trembled, and a pretty
flush came a moment into her pale
face, as she said:
care you one of the physicians
here?'
"Only by courtesy" he reptile d,"I
have the run of the place, but DR..
Atkinson is the physician. Old
DR.. Hare is the head physician, but
he does very little"
eyes, 1 know! It's lovely
place, is it not? Out here, 1 mean.
inside" and she shuddered, "the
sounds are often dreadful. But the
doctor at home thought change of
air would be good for me, and so
mamma sent me here.
Change of airY thought Fred.
%Poor little thing. Quite uncon-
scious of her infrmity.'
And he chatted away with her,
discussing the weather, the beauty
of the grounds, the songs of the
birds in the trees around them, and
50, gradually drifting to books, to
comparisons of opinion and criti
cism. And all through delightful
hour Fred vainly tried to discover
the one point upon which the new
patient was insane. Whatever it
was, it evaded him and he looked as
vainly for any wandering or vacancy
in the soft brown eyes that met his
own, full of intelligence.
They were still conversing when
one of the nurses came down the
path leading to the summer-house.