The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-07
Senators Exper fence with Doctors-Ad
mirai Porter's Recoverv

Senators Exper fence with Doctors-Ad-
mirai Porter's Recovery.
WASHINGTON CITY. Dec. IL Copyrighted,
1890 the experiments of Dr. Koch in Ber-
lin are creating considerable talk among the
statesmen at Washington. A great deal OF
skeptcism is expressed as to the success
OF the learned doctor, and / do not find
that the majority of the public men here
have very high opinion of the medical
profession. One senator who comes
from Western state, and who wears two
pair OF glasses, gave an experience that he
had lately with famous New York ocuist,
one OF the most noted men In his
line in the country. Said he:
II let this man treat my eyes, and he
did me great deal of good, and showed
such knowledge of the eve that I was
truly amazed, and during the examination
| said, Doctor, You have a wonderful
knowledge OF the human eye, and l am
really glad to know you. YES, he replid, i
do know something about the eye now, but
you must remember / spoiled about two
bushels OF eyes before / became acquainted
with it, and learned bow to treat it, This
settled me. and thanked the Lord that
had not gotten in on the first bushel.
Think of itl''
YES" said Senator Henderson, who
was listening TO the above. II prefer an
old doctor to young one any time. But
gray hairs are by no means sign OF medi-
cal wisdom. / found this out when l was
young man practising at the bar in Ohio.
A murder case was being tried and the
Hon. John McSweeny, then the most
noted lawyer in Ohio, was the attorney for
the murderer. The circumstances of the
crime were that this man had quarreled
with his friend ana in the ARRAY which en-
sued. had stabbed him with a knife.
McSweeny's line of defense was
that it was the doctor who
had dressed the wound and not the stab
which had killed the man. This doctor
was an old gray-haired quack of note. He
had put a plaster right over the wound,
and McSweeny showed in his argument
that this plaster had confined the pus and
brought on blood poisoning He examined
che gray-haired physician before he made
the argument. and the doctor had no idea
of his line of defense. He wanted, you
know, to show the mans ignorance, and he
did it effectually. He asked him a
number of questions, to which the
man pompously replied. He referred
to his large practice, spoke of the
wound, and then asked him If he had not
performed the post-mortem examination
on which the charge of murder was found.
The doctor replied that he had. You ar e
accustomed to performing post mortem
examinations, are you not?' On, yes
replied the doctor. that is part of NV
business Then you know all about it,
said McSweeny. Il do was the answer.
Then said McSweeny. as he picked up
a law book which looked very much like
noted surgical work, you of course know
of DR.. Dungleson's Treatise on Surgery p
Yes replied the doctor. he is one of
the most famous of our authorities
Then continued McSweeny, ashe opened
the book, i suppose you agree with him
where he says on page $50. paragraph LOO
that a post-mortem examination can be
performed just as well before as after
death. Certainly, certainly replied the
doctor without thinking. That's all, said
McSweeny. Before the doctor knew what
a terrible blunder he had made he was out
of the stand. II is needless to say that
McSweeny won his case, and that the doc
tor was the laughing-stock of the COM
munity."
l. =
ment to iay. He has not yet decided what
he will do when bis present term in the
Senate ends, but the probability is that he
will practice law in Milwaukee. He is one
of the brightest lawyers in the United
States, and he was getting $4,000 a year
from one railroad at the time he was
elected to the Senate. He could, l am
told, get salary twice as big as that OF a
supreme court justice from another road,
but this would necessitate his leaving the
state Of Wisconsin. which ne does not wish
to do. In the meantime hef is fond of
Washington life, and he might probably
take the attorney generalship II 1t were
offered to him and Judge Miller were eie-
waited to the supreme bench. Senator
Soooner says the public school law was the
cause of the Republican defeat in Wiscon-
sin ard that the question of his return 10
the senate did not enter into the canvass.
Admiral Porter is much better, and it is
now believed that he will get well. He has
a wonderful constitution and he has ac-
complished great amount of work within
the past few years. he has written several
novels and a number of magazine articles,
and he has other literary work in view. He
is one of the fastest writer's among our pub
lie men, and the greater part OF MS literary
work has been done standing and with
pencil and pad. Ee is an inventor as well
as a lawyer and literateur. and he has
number OF improvements which may some
time be introduced into our naval machin-
cry.
/ called yesterday az the war departm ent
tn see General Schofield, but found him so
rushed with the Indian troubles and with
congressional matters that could get but
a word with him. He is in splendid health.
H.s rosy cheeks shine with good living. and
his eyes are as bright as when he acted as
secretary of war during the latter part OF
Andrew Johnson's administration. He is
now 50 wears Oil, and is the
senior major general OF the United
states army. He has SIX years yet TO
serve before he will reach the age for re-
firement FRANK " 1AkPESfEk T.
sTake il before breakfast" because u will
give you an appetite, regulate TIE roweis and
cleanse the kin of al impuriIies-Dr. henley's
r Toni sod everywhere.