Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-02
A. TOLD BI THE DOCTORS,
Freaks of Patients who Imagine Them
selves IiI---A Frog Story.
LSan Francisco CAM

The conventional physician, like the
undtrtaker, IS Il d!gnliied man, stern of
face, quiet of manner. and always self
possessed n most of them there is a
shade of melancholy, no doubt brought
about by intimate associations with death
or the friendship they cultivate with
weird skeletons and brainlesS skulls that
are So conspicuous a feature of their pri-
waite Offices. The undertaken has his jolly
moods, and so do the disciples Of Escua-
plus. No mCrritr crowd or better story
teIlers can be gathered together thana lot
OF mddle-aged physicians. Camp them in
dlssecting room, with bodies lying thick
around and Il big bowl of punch to wash
down the tough yarns of the old-timerS,
and they can enjoy themselves more thor
Oughly than almost any other class of pro-
tesslOnal men. Many ludlcrOus stories of
imaginary ills are related by doctors, and
Il number were recently told to Il can re-
porter. Among others We're the follow
ing:
y few months ago u young man living
i'll the Western Addition was startled on
awakening from Il long sleep to find him
selfaS red as boiled lobster. Convinced
that he had scarlet fever he hastily jumped
INTO bed again and sent for his physician.
| The doctor came, and looked at his patient
ana also thought it was scarlet fever On
examination, however. the doctor became
nOnpluSSed. The man pulse was regular,
and save for the crimson flush on his face
neck and hands. there were no evidences
of scarlet fever. Accidentally the doctor
turned down the DcdclOtheS and the mys-
terry was explained. \ red quilt was all
tnai covered the man, and during the
night the sleeper had perSDircd freely, with
the result that the dye had run out OF the
quit and stained his face, neck and hands
! AS illustrative of what imagination will
dO, the case OF a WOman who IMAGINED
that frog had found Il Judgment IN her
stomach may be rccltcd. The woman in
question Is the wife OF an industrious me
chanic living out near the prcsidio ana in
/ some unknown manner conceived the idea
/ tlat the reptile was III her stomach. Ar
Gmnent by her husband and friends that it
was an halluclnatiOn awaited not and mat
| tels grew worse and worse until one day,
/ when the woman was down town, her i'm
aginary complaint WAS so bad that in des-
, peraton she entered Il drug store, and
stating her case asked for relief The
apothecmy happened to he Il physician,
ana seeing at once that hls customer
complaint was an Gmaginary one he re
solved to humOr her. Calling his clerk he
dispatched him to II rotiSserie near by to
procure frog, and administered an emet-
&c To the woman. The frog was slipped
INTO the pail, and when the victim of The
halllclnatlon saw it she expressed her
thanks, ana said she felt much relieved.
III was only few days, however, before
another hallucination that there were
more frogs, offspring Of the ELECTED reptile
III her stomach, took possession of her
she at once repaired to the apothecary and
told INN of her fears The druggist
scratched ms head for moment, and then
remembering that he had Chuckcd the
frog INTO Il Jar oi alcohol, took it from the
shelf, and after looking at it intcntly for q
rev moments, returned tOthc woman witt
Il satisfied smile on his face, and said
,Madame YOU are mistaken this is not
IA # mi ..f