The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-11-14
MEDICAL EXPEDIENTS.
Bogus Ailments Cured by Make
Believe Medicines.
Confessions of ConscIence-StrIcken Doc
s0r-Bread Pills as Necessary for a
Diseased Fancy as QuInIne for
the Ague.

sCharlatanrym said a prominent
Chicago physician, ''if by that term is
meant imposture or deception, why,
then, truth compels the confession that
have at times placed myself under
that ban, and / doubt if there be any
physician who does not find it neces-
sary to deceive certain of his patients.
Understand, the deceit is for the good
of the patient, and sometimes saves
life,
s'We often have to do with persons
of disordered minds, not insane ex-
actly. but incapable of being reasoned
with touching their physical condition.
If We suffered such to have their own
way they'd be forever filling them
selves with medicine, or they would OBJ
stinately reject what was offered them,
In either case imperiling their health.
Deception, as it is termed. is, after all,
not deception with them, since they
are not in normal mental condition.
"Some years ago had a patient, a
well-to-do-fellow, who, three or four
times year, would send for me, al
ways by night. Reaching his house.
ne in every instance declared he was
suffering from aggravated bilious collie.
Ills groaning might he heard half a
block away. This sort of thing went
on for three or four years when re-
morse preyed upon me SO that l re-
solved to swindle him no more. He
was excellent pay, never grumbling at
any bill, and his faith in me was
supreme. Still | knew l was guilty of
downright robbery. At the next sum
mons, when entered the room where
ne lay, he was groaning at terrific
rate.
% doctor, he cried, I'm worse off
than ever | was before. Isurely thought
I'd die before you reached me-
Il regarded him steadfastly for a
moment and then said:
sMr. RI, You are as well as /.
IN fact, you've never been SICK
The look of amazement on his face
shall never forget. As he said subse-
quently, he was in doubt as to whether
was drunk or crazy 1 told him the
simple truth, namely, that the only
remedy | had ever given him was
bread pills, pure and simple. The man
was possessed of a vivid imagination,
was OF poetic temperament and at ir-
regular intervals had those imaginary
attacks, which he termed bilious collie.
inere was no symptom of this malady
present in his case. wished to refund
ann the money he had paid me from
1llne to time, but he refused, declaring
.nat ne was SO rejoiced at his cure that
ne was more than recompensed. Had
sought to undeceive him in the first
year or two, should have failed. He
would have dismissed me in hot indigna-
eion ana continued one physician after
smother until he found one who would
aose hlm and suffer him to pursue the
pleasure OF illness. Having gained his
confidence. it was no difficult task
70 rid him of his hallucination.
There are thousands of people. hypo-
enondriacs among the number, who
only md peace of mind in nursing
.ancled aches of body. They like to be
sOuoied, nursed, petted and spoiled and
n.salsus IT surrounded by those who
1--WE them are sure TO be well taken
care OF. To be sure these victims of
.sneled disorder really believe them
= se.ses III and undergo in imagination
~ acnes and pains incident to the
.laaaales they assume their own; but
: Use acnes and pains are overcome by
sa - comforts by which they are sur
sos sean0ed and the incense offered to their