Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-08-21
DIR. TREDTCKARs Pills.

There never was a more popular young
physician than DIR. Trediokar. His manners
we're the perfection Of the sympathetic his
tact and his judgment were only equaled by
his devotion and skill his personal magnet
ism was immense, and the cures he wrought
were marvellous.
Fresh from the hospitals a. he was, and
eager in the pursuit OF his science, many old
families welcomed him az likely TO have a
newer knowledge than the sgeing physician
who had carried them through their lifetime !;
and young families, just setting up for them
Selves chose him N likely to go along the
road with themselves TO the end.
The event certainly justified their choice,
and reports Of the young doctors ability
went through the country side, and even OK
tended to the next large city, 30 that not in.
frequently he was called in consultation there
with physicians of longer and wider repute
than his own. His diagnosis of case was
10 swift and sure that people used 10 say that
Dr. Tredickar could tell what allied you by
just looking at you, and many good woman
averred that she was more benefited by his
touch upon the pulse than by another doc
tors prescription.
Very possibly she was, for DR.. Tredickar
gave very little medicine the case was eX-
treme in which he sent much custom TO the
druggist. He carried about with him in his
gig certain medicaments that he was wont TO
administer, apparently potent, and made up
under his own formula. From a peculiar
liquid in vial he measured one drop; IT, by
any accident, portion OF another drop left
the vial, the glass had TO be rinsed and the
single drop tried again; TO this drop a half
glass Of sweetened water being added, the
patient was allowed teaspOonful of the re-
..,lN -. .fw
1t was generally understood that this liq-
uid was something OF DIR. Tredickars own i'm.
portation, difficult to obtain and enormous in
cost and the gratitude his patients felt for
the kindness Of his thus procuring and keep
ing on hand what they could hardly have pro
cured for themselves, was something eXcoled
only by the rapidity with which they picked
mp health and strength under its effect.
Another OF tho remarkable things he was
fond Of administering was a tiny pill that he
always had about him, and that he loft in
small numbers to be taken at morning and
night, under certain other directions, always
ordering that IL the patient felt too much
braced on the second day, with ringing ears
or crowded sensations in the head, or q pain
in the left thumb, the number was TO be less
ened, the pills, however, to be taken three
days, and then omitted for three days, unit
cure was effected.
II these and the liquid did not work in
such cases a. he prescribed them, then DR.
Tredickar seemed to take another view OF
the case aud to devote himself TO il with
personal assiduity and fiery earnestness, anc
TO endeavor TO bring the patient mp as il OF
the strong winds OF all his powers and learn
ing.
The fact was that Dr. Tredckar believed
in Nature. He knew that in certain malig
nant phases OF the disease the physician and
strong drugs aud heroic measures are a. nee
essary AZ ths air we breathe but he believed
that many whimsical hypochondriAc, feeble
minded, weary and worn-out patients were
to be helped by purely hygienic treatment
by proper diet and other aids to health, ant
should not have one organ or another inter
fered with by the strong poison of drugs
and every such instance he gave his priceless
liquid and little dark pills, and let Natur'
aud the tonic effect of faith and hope do the
reviVipg work. And OF course he had many
such patients, az many such people abound
| aud the cures we're no satisfactory that hi
fame spread in wide and wider circles, peo
| pie who had been hurt and not helped b,
drugs leaving other hysioiAns for his advice
And he gave the advice and his little darl
pills. too and with some individuals relie
came quickly, and with others, where the sys
tenn had been still further upset by stronI
medicines, not 40 quickly.
IL he had at any time doubts al to the em
piricism Of this treatment he excused him
self by stating the weakness of human nature
and by remembering that az cure was wha
was wanted, he was the one TO decide how l.
effect the cure.
But al DIR. Tredickars practice increased
he had not the time for dividing slices O
brown bread into infinitesimal bits that one
he had, and. frequently called away, he woul
leave the task for pretty Dorothy Merle t
finish, and she would divide and redvide tn
tiny segments, and roll them between tw
fruit knives, and set them in the sun TO dry
and have all his boxes filled with fresh SUI
plies OF the little dark pills when he cam
home.
Dolly did that no more faithfully than sh
did every thing else though she was house
keeper aud maid of all work and general ovei
seer for the young doctor, and knew YER
we'll how TO take care Of him, and Of herself
too.
She was a pretty thing, this young Doro
thy Merle not very tall and rather slender
with dark brown hair falling off the low
white brow In natural waves, with brilliant
hAzel-brown eyes and small, fine features
among which was mouth whose rosy Lip
parted over teeth like seed pearls. She yer
seldom smiled she was a grave little body
intent in her beauty, a farmers daughter
brought up to work, brought up 10 be q lady
too, with good, common school education
and simple manners.
Often when the doctor returned from b
visits he left his study and went out into ht
little sitting room, where she fire was brigl
and the hearth was clean, and sat down ther
10 have glass of milk and bit Of ginger
bread, and TO speak first of some house
hold matter, and afterward OF some patient
and presently he found himself disoussiu
his most perpleXing case with her, and d
riving more or leas benefit from her disints
eated common sense.
Somehow, this brief rest In the little 81
ting. room became 10 him very pleasant, AM
learning more every day, Dolly loved to II
ten. Often, when her cheek flushed, al
her brown eyes lighted with interest the do
tor would say to himself
"By JOve what pretty creature she ID
Why wasn't she born in some other static
of life 2"
Aud again, when out in a cold and storm
night, he would find himself hurrying to b
horse, and pioturing the pleasure OF a se
by the fire opposite Dorothy. And tn
again he was saying
"Oonfound the station OF life A perfe
woman nObly planned ia station in life he
self"
} Aud one night. az he looked over at he
sitting opposite, demurely darning on
ble-oloth there, he wondered why he shou
! not GROSS over aud sit beside her. Still
said nothing of all this thinkingi he was n
a swift man at speakingi his purpose form
slowly.
I II only women could be patient VIII
I had II been TO pretty DorOthy-these event
hours, this familiar talk, these friendly wore
these long sentences, illumined only by fAs
+ ing glancesl He never knew.
0 One day he came home and found an anR
: lar spinster in pretty Dorothys place. M
/ Merle had engaged her, she said and Dol
9 thy was nowhere TO be seen. II was Of
( use for everything to rush over DIR. Tredieh
then, In one torrent of Temembranoes a