Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-01-07
A COUNTRY DOCTOR.

significance to a sick man. Perhap
even to man in perfect health it is no
of striking Importance. But to the OBJ
servant mind it is interesting to not,
that the country doctor differs greatly
from his professional brother in the city
l was struck by this fact few days age
during sojourn in the hill country Of
Connecticut While there | passed q
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 solid basis
"You see" he continued, sit is not 50
bad in summer, but when the snow
comes lead terrible life. | freeze my
nose and ears, | am overthrown by drifts,
at night | suffer from cold, and at mid
day the sunlight on the sn ow hurts my
eyes. Nevertheless, am happy"
He whistled 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
''citified" 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 a case did you strike
there"
'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."
l 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 message down the block
somewhere. There are times when |
would give half my income for another
doctors aid, but l can't get it. have
to follow the bird that focked by itself
and do my own consulting. | must stop
here moment. I'll be out again in five
minutes"
/ don't believe rural physician has
any idea of time, 1t may be that he has
the ability to count pulse, but his in
depreciation of what is comprised in the
expression, ''tive minutes" is peculiar.
l 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 summer sky"
On verdure crowned hill some miles
to the northward arose a gigantic tree
that seemed to rejoice in its enormous
size. Perhaps beneath its branches the
treacherous redskin had closed his heavy
eyes. Perhaps it will 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.
whats the matter insideP' asked.
sob, 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
calomel pill. Why, do you know, that
man, in spite of his age. can do more on
farm in week than you or could do
in month. This is healthy country,
my friend"
! began to think he was right. Dur
ing the morning he made ten calls. N6e1
one of his patients was under seventy
years of age. At dinner, however, his
telephone rang-for they have q few
modern appliances up there, including
q tank drama-and he was urged to
hasten to the bedside of 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. It |
is evident that he had never waited for
q country doctor as he tended crying |
child. Such an experience is not only |
soothing to the spirit; it is a narcotic to
the senses. When the doctor returned |
was fast asleep, while the mare was in
q state of semicollapse.
."What did you do for the babyr' l
asked.
"Told them to kill the cow" he an
'wered Grossly, and did not pursue the
subject.
Later in the afternoon he was called |
% patient living eight miles away.
Dur road led through dense forest, and
he air was sitting. Before we had
from the woods storm came
m, and the lightning flashed around us
n realistic way worthy of well
tagged rendition of ''Uncle Toms Cabin"
We were wet to the skin, and my COM
'anion seemed to realize that the expe-
fence was not pleasant to me, for he Of
cred me cigar Amid the war of the
lements ! grew desperate and lighted
is gift. After the first puff I really
loped that should be stricken by light
ing
The shower had cleared away as we
rev up before low rooted, red painted
ottage surrounded by trees. A very
retty girl opened the door to the doc
Or, while | continued my occupation of
olding mare that would not have run