Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-11-14
coMmoM SENSE IN SURGERY.
A nrlsS Popular Paper % Some Bsosat
Triumphs IN Practloai BarGsFy.

uOSS 40 WuUu tuctI toot uuIb uAtoS
hunt-or II you limp or complain. Q
doctor guesses what Is the matter with
you. Then he guesses what will cure
ycu. II both guesses are right. you
are In luck. and he Is a skilful doctor.
In nine cases out OF ten he Is giving
you something harmless while he 70
taking second and third look at you
(at your expense, Of course) to guess
over himself"
His medical pessiniism and his sur.
gical optimism amused and entertained
me. and encouraged him to 60 on.
Now with surgeon 1t Is different.
Surgery Is an exact science. Before l
took this position ! was surgeons
assistant IN hospital. In some places
we are called trained nurses. In our
place we were called surgeons assist
ants. That's why make such q dis
tinction between doctors and surgeons.
I've seen the two work side by side 90
long. I've seen some Of the funniest
mistakes made. and I've seen mistakes
that were not funny. I've seen post
mortem examinations that would have
made surgeon ashamed that he had
ever been born. looked upon by the
doctor who treated the case % not at
all strange; didn't stagger him bit In
his own opinion OF himself and bis
scientific knowledge next time. / re-
member one case. 1t was Japanese
boy. He wns as solid as little OK.
but he told DR.. c. that he'd been
taking homeopathic prescription for
cold. That was enough for DR..
c.. A red rag In the van OF
bovine animal Is nothing to the word
homeopathy to DR.. c.. Hydro
pathy gives him tits. and eclecticism
almost lays him out. Not long ago be
sat on Jury which sent man to
prison who had failed in case OF
'mind-cure.' That gave deep delight
to his regular soul. Well, DR.. c.
questioned the little Jap. who could
not speak good English, and had the
national inclination to agree with
whatever you soy. Ever been 10
Japanp No? Well. they are q droll
lot. Always strive to agree With oil
you say or suggest. -.
Ibid you ever spit blooda asked
DR.. c.. by-and-by. after he could
find nothing else wrong except the
little cold for which the homeopathic
physician was treating the boy.
"'Once,' replied that youthful victim.
".Ahai we are getting ut the root
of this matter now said DR.. G..
Now tell me truly. Be careful! Did
you spit much bloodg'
Yes. sir; o good deal
"The doctor shifted. He always
knew that o homeopathic humbug
could not diagnose case. and would
be likely to get just about as near tho
facts as light cold would come to
tuberculosis.
..:How long did this lastr no In
ouired Of the smiling boy.
.I think-it seem TO me-
".A half-hourp' queried the doctor;
twenty minutes! -.
IL think so. Yes, sir. About half
an hour-twenty minutes responded
the obliging youth.
II heard that talk. Common.senS0
told me the boys lungs were oil right;
but It was none of nv business. and SO
/ watched him treated, of and on. for
luug trouble for over y month before l
got chance to ask him any question.
Then I asked. incidentally.
".What made you spit that blood
that time. Chit?
al didn't know ought to swallow
him, he replied. wide-eyed and anxious.
Dentist pull tooth. He say to me.
Spit blood here" ] do like ne tell
me. Your doctor say YER bad for
lungs spit blood. Next time swal-
low him.
Il helped another practitioner. In
good and regular standing, to examine
a mau's heart. He found pretty bad
wheeze In the left side. l had to
nurse that man. He had been on
bat, and all on earth that allied him
was that spree, but he got treated for
heart trouble. 1t scared the man al-
most to death.
I'D learned how a heart should
sound. so one day tried his. de was
In bed then. and it sounded all right
so when the doctor came in, 1took him
aside, and told him that man was
scared about to death over his heart:
and It seemed to me all right-sounded
like other hearts-and his pulse was
all right too. The doctor was mad as
March hare, though he had told me
10 make two or three tests, and keep
the record for him against the time o.
his next visit. Well, to make Q long
matter short, the final discovery was
the man don't know 1t yet, and he y
going around in dread of dropping on
any minute with heart failure-that at
the first examination the man had re-
moved only his coat and vest, aud his
new suspender on his starched shirt
had made the squeak. That Is q colo
fact, and that man paid over eignty
dollars for the treatment he had Ior
his heart"-HeleR H. Gardener, ~
HGrper's Magazine.