Milford chronicle., 1888-08-10
A TRUE STORY IN REAL LIFE.
Is LEE WORTH LIVING ?

| II mas DeCu worn lhIGauDdIe- ollll us dppN-
cation is as pertinent as when it was first ut.
tered.
At one time in my life l determined to
pursue the study of medicine. Circumstan-
ces compelled me to abandon it as a profess
sion, still had more or less practice among
personal friends, sufficient to keep up my
interest in it.
One day I received visit from an old
friend, the Captain Of a coasting steamer.
He seemed much worried and for time
made his visit anything but pleasant. At
last said to him, Captain, you seem trou-
bled about something, can I aid you in any
way 2"
mo p' he replied shortly, Fat least don't
think you can, and have pretty good rea-
sons for thinking So"
felt hurt for a moment and rather angri-
ly replied 'well, don't have TO-"
"Of course you don't" he responded
''but it is an internal shame, and it makes
me mad all through, when think Of the
way have beea bled by a lot of frauds that
call themselves doctors"
Then he continued rapidly, you know
that boy of mine ?" nodded.
"wen, he has been a serious tax upon me
for years, not that begrudge him anything
that he has cost me, but I do curse every
time I think of the hundreds of dollars,
earned in the hardest manner, disappearing
into the pockets of men who promised much,
only to do the worst kind Of damage in the
end"
'Now, I have the cheerful prospect Of
having an undertaker's bill to pay, besides
losing my boy" "But, " he added savagely,
q have spent the last dollar that I ever will
for medicine, and, as he has to die, the
/ quicker the better"
''You have no right to talk in that way,
Captain, " said severely. Gas long as your
boy lives, it is your duty to do everything in
your power to aid him"
"And haven't n" was his response f;
"what is the use of your talking, you know
just as much about curing him as the rest of
them although" he added, Il believe you
have a conscience the rest that have had
dealings with don't pan out so well in that
respect" 81 tell you, he continued, that
boy is doomed he will go just like his
mother did, and the doctors can write down
in their books of failures, one more death
from consumption, a disease we know moth
ing about "
He relapsed into a moody silence. At last
I said, "is your boy very low, Captain ?"
''ae can Just crawl around, 3" was his re-
sponse, land what makes the matter worse
for me, is the pitiful way in which he asks
me to try and do something for him. How
ever, he will be here after awhile, and l
want YOU as a friend of mine, to tell me TO
the best of your knowledge, how long you
thixk he is going to last, so that can make
my calculations"
While he was talking, I saw the boy ap-
preaching, and just as he stepped into my
office painting and gasping, from his exertion
in walking, I said to myself "the grip of
death is too firmly fastened OIL you to be
ever shaken off" After greeting him, at his
fathers request, examined him and found
him in the condition that I shall describe.
He had evidently inherited consumption
from his mother; bronchial tubes much
thickened, so much so as to make the opera
ton of breathing extremely difficult and
painful. Chest cavity much contracted
ausculation and percussion showed extern
sive tuberculous deposits, and cavities, es-
pecially in the left lobe of the lungs body
much emaciated and bloodless. In fact, I'M
less Ito my mind) some miraculous interven-
ton occurred to stay the progress of the dis
ease, the patient could not survive but few
weeks. ! talked as cheerfully as I could to
him, but he was too much depressed to pay |
much attention to anything but his suffering.
The father sent him to q restaurant near
by, and turning to me he asked, "Wel,
what is the verdict ?"
/ had been thinking rapidly, aud as he
spoke had made up my mind to proceed |
ure, as regards the boy, that determined
to follow out In answer to his question,
said. Captain, unless something is done for
that boy you will bury him within month. "
"Well what can be done ?" he said excit-
edly. do you want to try your hand in |
experiments Do you want some Of my .
money, too? Are you going to sicken him
to death with rotten cod liver OIL blister his
skin with plasters, drug him and rush him
into his coffin ~
"Hold on, Captain, replied II don't
want your money, but am going to try an
experiment with your permission. 1t is
matter Of duty, and in his condition, can do
no harm, if it does no good"
How much is it going to cost ?" he asked.
"I don't know" was my reply Whatever
it is, he rejoiued, will come out Of your
pocket, not mine" Don't bother yourself
about that, " said I coldly When the boy
he seemed more exhausted than
when he first entered my Office. and as his
father handed him a chair, he said to his son,
''Del, the doctor here thinks he can do you
some good. What do you say do you want
him to try ?"
I shall never forget the look on the boys
face, and his words, and the heading of this
article cane forcibly into my mind: "Is Life
Worth Living7" Evidently it was to him,
Is it is to all mankind when tortured with
pain, with the clammy hand Of death encir-
,ling their throats they struggle ID his re-
entless grasp, and cry out in an agony of
error, "for Gods sake, save me-" put
linn on a nutritious diet, eggs and milk
reading the list, and provided him with
of medicine, that had never
lsed before, or ever expected to. 1t was
heer experiment on my part, as reeklessly
as anything could be. The result
immediate improvement in breathing, and
-eneral strength Of body better color, i'm
proved spirits, increased appetite, and an
Increase in bodily weight that was astonish-
ng.
At the commencement of treatment he
weighed 90 TBS. In two months with cen
tant progress to health, his weight had in A
reased to r2o bs. IN three months he c