Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-14
A COUNTRY DOCTOR.


There Is high authority for this asser-
ton, but its evident truth is of no special
significance to sick man. Perhaps
even to a man in perfect health it is not
Of striking importance. But to the OBJ
servant mind it is interesting to note
that the country doctor differs greatly
from his professional brother in the city.
Twas struck by this fact few days ago
during sojourn in the hill country Of
Connecticut While there I passed
day with a leading physician of the
township. He leads queer life.
"a city doctor knows nothing of the
difficulties we encounter" remarked my
friend as we drove toward the well titled
fields lying beyond the village. 1t was
early morning, and the air was as fresh
as young man just out of college. The
doctor had been up for two hours placing
the affairs of his Office on q solid basis.
"You see," he continued, cit is not so
bad in summer, but when the snow
comes lead a terrible life. I freeze my
nose and ears, am overthrown by drifts,
at night suffer from cold, and at mid
day the sunlight on the snow hurts my
eyes. Nevertheless, am happy"
He whistled a merry tune, touched his
mare with the whip, and in few min
utes drew up at farmhouse, whose
white walls and green blinds were pain
fully inartistic.
He was gone about fifteen minutes-a
doleful quarter of an hour for me. A
COW munched grass in the front yard
and an old oaken bucket was the only
''citi6ed" thing in sight. BY that strange
law Of action and reaction it took me
back to that awful night when saw
"The Old Homestead" at a New York
theater.
When the doctor had replaced his
drug store underneath the seat and had
gathered up the lines asked:
"What kind of q case did you strike
thereY'
Nothing serious" he answered. "a
young woman Of seventy is suffering
from facial neuralgia. She has youth
and energy in her favor, however, and
will be all right in day or two"
looked at him in surprise. Had his
lonely life affected his brain?
Zone trouble have" he went on,
''lies in the fact that cannot obtain any
assistance in critical cases. When one
Of your New York physicians desires
advice from a colleague all he has to do
is to send a message down the block
somewhere. There are times when
would give half my income for another
doctors aid,. but can't get it. I have
to follow the bird that hocked by itself
and do my own consulting. must stop
here moment. I'll be out again in five
minutes"
don't believe a rural physician has
any idea of time. It may be that he has
the ability to count pulse, but his in
depreciation of what is comprised in the
expression, ''five minutes" is peculiar.
! held that mare for fully half an hour.
The flies bothered her and she grew rest
less. There was no relief for me but to
gaze at the undulating landscape and
indulge in day dreams. "a pleasing
land of drowsiness it was, of dreams
that wave before the half shut eye, and
OF gay castles in the clouds that pass,
forever flushing round q summer sky"
On verdure crowned hill some miles
to the northward arose gigantic tree
that seemed to rejoice in its enormous
size. Perhaps beneath its branches the
treacherous redskin had closed his heavy
eyes Perhaps it viii look down upon
the valley when Chicago has grown
modest and Patagonia has been admitted
TO the Union.
Such feverish fancies filed my mind
until the doctors return ae'S
whats the matter insider' I asked. S
''Oh, nothing to worry about. The
sick man is about ninety-eight years
old. and overworked himself yesterday
in the bayfield,. He'll come out all
right. I've prescribed days rest and a
calomel pill. Why, do you know, that
man. In spite Of his age, can do more on
farm in a week than you or could dc
in month. This is healthy country,
my friend"
began to think he was right. Dur.
ing the morning he made ten calls. Not
one Of his patients was under seventy
years Of age. At dinner, however, his
telephone rang-for they have few
modern appliances up there, including
tank drama-and he was urged to
hasten to the bedside of q sick baby.
went with him and held the mare.
There's naught so much the spirit
soothes as rum and true religion" re-
marked Byron, poet once in vogue. 1t
is evident that he had never waited for
country doctor as he tended crying
child. Such an experience is not only
soothing to the spirit; it is narcotic to
the senses. When the doctor returned
! was fast asleep, while the mare was in
state of semicollapsa
'What did You do for the baby?'' ]
asked.
"Told them to kill the cow" he an
swered Grossly, and did not pursue the
subject.
Later in the afternoon he was called
70 q patient living eight miles away.
Our road led through dense forest, and
the air was sitting. Before we had
emerged from the woods storm came
on, and the lightning flashed around us
in q realistic way worthy Of a well
staged rendition of Uncle Toms Cabin. "
We were wet to the skin, and my COM
panion seemed to realize that the expe-
rience was not pleasant to me, for he Of
fered me cigar. Amid the war Of the