Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-01
COMMON SENSE IN SURGERY.
"A Brief Popular Paper on Some Recent
Triumphs in Practical Surgery.

IriumphS In Practical Surgery.
"A doctor and a surgeon NAV be the
same person. remarked the philo-
sophical trainer, oracularlv, but they
seldom are. If you whine-as the
dogs do when their feet hurt after a
hunt-or if you limp or complain, a
doctor guesSes what is the matter with
you. Then he guesses what will cure
you. If 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 is
taking Il second and third look at YOU
Cat your expense, of course) to guess
over himself"
His medical pessimlsm and his sur
glcal optimism amused and entertained
me, and | encouraged him to 90 on.
Nov with a surgeon 1t is different.
Surgery is an exact science. Before |
took this position | was surgeons
assistant in a hospital. In some places
we are called trained nurses. In our
place we were called surgeons assist
ants. That's why | make such a dis
unCtiOn between doctors and surgeons.
Eve seen the two work side by side so
long. I've seen some Of the funniest
mistakes made, and I've seen mistakes
that were not funny. Eve 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 as not at
all strange; didn't stagger him bit in
his own opinion of himself and his
scientific knowledge next time. | re-
member one case. 1t was Il japanese
boy. He was as solid as little OK
but he told Or. C. that he'd been
taking homeopathic prescription for
Il cold. That was enough for DR..
C. 4 red rag in the van of a
bovine animal is nothing to the word
homeopathy to DR.. C HYDRO
pathy gives him fits. and cclecticism
almost lays him out. Not long ago he
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 say. Ever been in
Japan? No? Well, they are droll
lot. Always strive to agree with all
you say or suggest.
Ibid you ever spit bloodP' 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.
AHA! we are getting at the root
of this matter now said DR.. C..
Now tell me truly. Be careful! Did
you spit much blood?'
Yes, sir; a good deal
The doctor shifted He always
knew that homeopathic humbug
could not diagnose Il case, and would
be likely to get just about as near the
facts as light cold would come to
tuberculosis.
How long did this last? he in
quired of the smiling boy.
81 thiuk-it seem to me-
IA half-hour?' queried the doctor;
twenty minutes?'
IL think so. Yes sir. About half
an hour-twenty minutes responded
the obiiging youth.
II heard that talk. Common-sense
told me the boys lungs were all right;
but it was none of my business. aud so
| watched him treated. off and on, for
lung trouble for over month before |
got chance to ask him any question.
Then | asked. incidentally.
"What made you spit that blood
that time, Chip
81 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 he tell
ne. Your doctor say YER bad for
lungs. spit blood. Next time l swal-
low him.
II helped another practitioner. in
good and regular standing, to examine
a mans heart. He found pretty bad
wheeze in the left side. / 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.
.Td learned how a heart should
sound, so one day | tried his. He was
in bed then, and it sounded all right
so when the doctor came in. | took him
aside, and told him that man was
scared about to death over his heart,
and it seemed to me all ight-sounded
like other hearts-and his pulse was
all right too. The doctor was mad as
a March hare, though he had told me
to make two or three tests, and keep
the record for him against the time of
his next visit. Well, to make a long
matter short. the final discovery was
the man don't know it yet, and he is
going around in dread of dropping off
any minute with heart failure-that at
the first examination the man had re-
moved only his coat and vest. and his
new suspender on his starched shirt
had made the squeak. That is cold
fact, and that man paid over eighty
dollars for the treatment he had for
his heart. "-HeLera II. Gardener, in
H0TDer'S Ml11zi7le