The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-12-30
THINK THEY ARE SICK.
IMAGINARY ILLS TO WHICH HUMAN
FLESH IS HEIR.
People who Insist Upon Being Dosed,
and How They are Accommodated.
Bread Pills and simple sirup for

Bread Pills and simple Strip for
Faneied Ailments
do you see that LADY,
A prominent Detroit physician indicated
a lady who had Just left his office.
''Well she imagines she has consumption,
and this is her third visit to me. You
needn't look surprised. If j were to tell
her the truth-that she hasn't the remotest
symptoms of the disease-she would think
me a fool, and go To another doctor. And
If he told her the truth she would keep on
going until she found a physician who
agreed with her. The only way to deal
with persons who think they have conSump-
ton is to humor their whim, charge as lit
tie possible without exciting their suspi-
cion, and bring them around perfectly cured
as soon as they can be made to believe it.
You have no idea of the number of intelli-
gent ladies who imagine they have consump-
ton cancer Some relative or acquaint-
ance of theirs has died with one of these
complaints, and the first time they cough
they are convinced il is the beginning of
consumption, and the least little pimple or
burning sensation drives them almost fran
tic with the thought that cancer Is form
ing. The only possible way to deal with
this class of cases is to thoroughly gain the
confidence of the patient They watch
the physician like cat, and any hesitation
on his part leads them to either imagine the
worst or else set him down as incompetent.
Il usually ask few direct questions, such
as when the trouble was first noticed, the
exact location and intensity of the pain, and
then fall into their view of the matter
assure them that they have done wise
thing in coming to me at once, as, now that
the trouble can be taken in time, there
will be no difficulty in effecting a speedy
cure. \ few bread pills and bottle of
scented sirup prepared with the greatest
care and particular directions given rs to
how they are TO be taken. At the next
visit / noticed perceptible change for the
better and am delighted, | hardly eN-
pected any improvement So soon. The third
visit shows complete eradication of the
acute nature of the trouble, but to provide
against any return new remedies are ap
piled At the fourth visit the patient is as
well as anybody, treatment is discontinued,
and / have gained "A few dollars and life
long friend and patron"
And there is no quackery about it,
Not n bit. But if ! were to tell the
truth in the first place the patient would
probably fall into the hands of some unscru-
pulous medic who would scare the life out
of her and charge dollars where l only take
cents. -
ITO what extent does this sort of practice
exist2''
We'll, if only those who really require a
physician We're prescribed for one-q quarter
of the doctors in Detroit would become
Micawbcrs. On the other hand there are
class of people not alone confined to the
| poor who neglect calling doctor until it is
too late. He gets the case just in time to
make out the death certificate. There are
hundreds of cases terminating fatally which
might have been saved if taken in time
! This Is very uneven world my friend
take it how You will-financially. politi
| of
our enlightenment, but you have no idea
| of the superstition existing all around
| Why, the faith cure has many follow
ers that it has almost grown respectable
See the number of c!airvoyant 'healers
who maintain themselves in luxury by see
ing the disease and remedy in "A trance
How many, think you, carry horse chest
nuts i'll their pockets every day of their
lives to keep of rheumatism, and would
| not dare go without one, Not few, as
sure you. Look at the vast sales of patent
medicines Now let me tell you something
about these patent medicines. They are
! prepared for general consumption, and for
that very reason must of necessity be with
out virtue You never hear of any one
being injured by them-that would not do,
as it would at once stop the sale of the
article. So they are prepared for the most
| delicate child and the strongest man-mere
wash. \ remedy which will do no one harm
will do no one any good. There are hun
dred other superstitions, but don't know
rs | ought to be surprised at them. Mcdi-
cine itself has only recently emerged from
an almost barbaric state. Less than twenty
| five years ago We're salivating with Gallo
mel, cupping. and blistering, and bleeding
for almost everything. The counter irrit-
ant is still practiced to some extent"
What is that
! why, II "a little boy was beating drum
and you wished To hush his noise the way
| to do it would be to commence firing can
non. If you have pain i'll your stomach
| put on n blister and it will hurt you SO much
worse that you'll never notice the pain.
! Medicated plasters are all right when APP
! piled to extract pain or any deep seated
mo cbidity, as has often been proven, but as
counter irritant l regard them relic
| of barbarism But, then. medicine has
made a wonderful progress in the last
twenty years, since the homeopathic OPP
position began. 1t woke the old school up,
and by so doing bestowed an incStimable
boon upon humanity Its first ideas, re-
garding infinitesimal doses, were much
| to one extreme as the .Ihrr schools coSes
| were TO the other Both schools have
receded from their extreme views. and are
| now very near together. Another change
is the breaking up of the profession into
! specialties. \ country store contains
| everything - hardware. groceries, dry
| goods, boots and shoes. So il used To be
with medicine. Only twenty-five years ago
you had to 20 10 a doctor TO get tooth
| pulled Now You go to IA dentist. The
eye and ear are made speciality, brain
diseases and insanity another. and 80 on. Ii
| is impossible for one mind To b. expert at
all classes Of diseases. Ii is too much Ia
expect man who amputates a leg To be
able the next moment to prescribe for an
infant with marasmus The dawn is break
ing. sir, and Am glad to At. n-Detroii
| Tribune