The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-10-04
A CONSULTATION.
The Family Doctor and the Fash
ioneble Physician


l am a family doctor. with a suffi-
ciently arduous, IL not over-lucrative,
practice, chiefly among the lower mid
die class whose homes abound in q
southeastern suburb of modern Bah
ylon. Some years ago, when / was
more OF a struggler than / happily
now am. 1 had by good fortune OBJ
tanned a foothold as medical adviser
in the household OF a wealthy city
stockholder. who dwelt in a spacious
and luxurious mansion some three
miles further out on the Surrey hills
than the extreme limits Of my regular
round of visits; and the fees received
for occasional calls to Mount Aureo
when Mr. Midas Contango had a touch
OF his chronic tormenter, the gout; or
his somewhat sentimental spouse
quite n grand dame, however, in her
own esteem-was suffering the pen
alties of systematic outrage on the
digestive ft-up of her portly person,
were so liberal in their extent as to
form in the aggregate no inconsidera-
BILE proportion of my modest income.
Alter my connection at Mount Aureo
had continued, TO the seeming salts
faction Of all concerned. for some
two years, 1 began TO receive more
frequent summonses thitherward The
only daughter Of the Contangos, Miss
Muriel, fine, tall, gracefully-formed
damsel Of seventeen, who might have
stood for a sculptor's model, so per-
feet was her physique, had returned
home for her Christmas vacation from
her fashionable Brighton boarding
school troubled with a slight cough.
In all respects save this t:ifling laryn-
goal affection, she enjoyed the excel
lent health of which both her parents
had had possession in their earlier
days. before the indulgences which
follow in wealth's wake had made
them profitable acquaintances of my
own. 1t was clear enough, too, to me
that Miss Muriel Contango's throat
trouble was purely local; nevertheless,
1t was causing serious alarm to the
master and mistress OF Mount Aureo,
who idolized their charming daughter.
The dream of the Cantango existence
Of the aristocracy, their reputation
for riches having obtained them entres
70 society to which. by birth and
breeding. they were not entitled.
Mr.. and Mrs. Midas Contango had
both begun to dread that Miss MurieI's
indisposition would culminate in bron-
chitis or decline. The slightest cough,
the least brOnchus, raised the grim and
terrible specter of phthisis. and the
beautiful young lady was held to be in
imminent danger of an early grave
l had examined her chest with the
most anxious and minute care. but
could discover nothing TO justify any
fear or even doubt of the correctness
OF my diagnosis; yet, despite balsamics
and sedatives, exposure, however little,
in treacherOus weather would cause
hoarseness and a transitory cough.
Indeed, these disagreeable symptoms
often manifested themselves without
any apparent cause, except as |
judged. the inordinate precautions
taken to avert them. The rooms at
Mount Aureo were always too hot;
Miss Muriel was overclothed, could
not stir out for constitutional in the
garden without n respirator. or take a
drive unless hidden in an envelopment
Of costly furs. When l ventured to
hint at this, the invariable reply of the
Contangos was: "Ahi doctor, IL we
did not take this care of Muriel, how
long would she be with us?-the dear
child is 50 delicate" And nothing 1
could say would alter their opinion.
One day in the April succeeding.
when Miss Muriel had been coddled up
at homo for four months instead of
being sent 10 Brighton TO continue her
studies, Mrs Contango was more than
usually concerned about her daugh-
ter's condition. The stockbroker and
his good lady had over night held an
anxious discussion l had made my
now usual though quite unnecessary
daily visit to Mount Aureo, and Mrs
Midas Contango was, in her patroniz-
ing and yet solicitous manner. bowing
me out had almost reached the
door, hat in hand. when Mrs. CONTAIN
go said, with some effort: doctor,
you know we have the utmost conf
dence in you; we carry out your in
structions to the letter; but our dear
child
''Yes. madam; only you will persist
in treating her, If l may be pardoned
the simile. too much after the manner
of tropical orchid, instead of regard
ing her as a beautiful plant of En-
glish growth" "
We'll, you may be right, doctor:
but we are so very anxious. Mr.. Con-
tango and myself-you see MurieI is
our only child. our sole hope. Now
would you mind our asking the opinion
of a famous specialist as to the case?''
Nothing would be better or more
proper Pray. whom would you like,
and when may we arrange, contingent
IN his being able TO come, to have him
lere?'
Mrs Midas Contango mentioned the
mon of a very fashionable and ex-
>cusive London physician with a con-