New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-05
1NTEHESTING MEDICAL CASE.

Tho life NJ the physician, unlike that of the ed
,tor is not all sunshine. Serious problems very
often confront him. In amputation, for instance
IL is no light thing especially for young practi-
TONER who has yet to make a name for himself,
Suddenly 10 discover that he has cut of the wrong
leg from the carefully chloroformcd patient 1t
is hard in such cases. to console captious patient
with the promise to charge for one leg only. But
there are minor occasions when the physician often
finds himself face to face with puzzling and com
plicated questions Look for instance at the pres
emit position of DR.. Mitchell. of Baltimore
The Tribune has already printed dispatch from
the Monumental City telling OF the trying situation
in which DR.. Mitchell finds himself. This told, 1t
will be remembered, Of little Willie Webb SIX years
old who has contracted strange taste for the
fumes Of gasoline. The other day his mother found
Willie unconscious from inhaling these fumes.
AS often lie can get at the gasoline can he pro-
cceds to intoxicate himself. 10 do SO he removes
the stopper from the can and inserts his nose IN the
hole" remaining in this position until under the
influence of the rapidly evaporating
fluid. DR.. Mitchell is puzzled. So are
all of the doctors in baltimore There
Is no such case on record and they are
utterly at loss as to what line of treatment to
pursue. We would not presume, of course, 10
teach the able physicians OF Baltimore anything
about their profession but will repeat for their
bcneiit the story of the strange case of little
johnny Jellyll and Dr. Hyde Of this city.
Little Johnny Jekyll like the Baltimore boy
contracted a peculiar taste. His was the jam
habit. Removing the stopper from his mothers
Jam jar. in exactly the same way as Willie webb
removes the stopper from his mothers gasoline
can, little Johnny would insert his nose in the hole
Finding from the odOr that it was indeed jam,
Johnny would then take out his nose and insert
his hand and proceed to scoop up large and fire.
,uent handfuls Of jam, which he would convey to
his mouth until he had placed himself strongly
under the influence of the sweetmcat. He never
became wholly unconscious, but his mother fire.
auenty found him utterly unable to walk from the
effects of the jam. Like wise mother she soon
decided that medical advice should be sought for
his strange habit, and called in Dr. Hyde. 4
physician Of the old school. Dr. Hyde made
careful examination Of the and then shook
his head Madam" he said. there is such
case on record in medical books" But DR.. Hyde
did not despair as have the Baltimore physicians,
even IL he were thrown wholly upon his own
resources. Mrs. Jekyll," he said kindly, Il
think can prescribe treatment for Johnny which
will prove efiicacious. Place Johnny across your
lap, take your slipper in your right hand and apply
vigorously. Repeat as often as the jam attacks
come on. Good morning, Mrs. Jekyll." The lldy
followed DR.. Hyde's directions carefully and at
the end of a week had effected complete cure
We confess that we are not sufficiently
learned in diagnosis to decide positively whether
or not the disease of Johnny Jekyl and that OF
Willie Webb are similar. Nor do we know enough
OF therapeutics to say if the treatment should be
the same, even if the complaints are similar But
it strikes us that the cases analogous and that
treatment in that Of Willie bearing more or less
resemblance to that given Johnny would have an
excellent effect. We take the liberty to call DR.
Mtchell's attention to it Mt least. We would also
suggest to the sagacious practitioner that anothe.
line Of treatment would be to lock up the gasoline.