River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-05-11
ALL VERY ILL.
A Sudden Epidemic of High Temporal
lures.

The following story is told by one
who vouches for its truth:
DIR. Blank is popular physician in
one of our suburban towns. lie is
adored by the ladies, and his charges
To his fair constituency art not heavy.
and when he says person Is sick there
is no use in denying il. Not long ago a
prominent business man went home
suffering from a severe cold The next
morning he was worse, and his wife
would not let him come TO his Office in
Boston.
You must have DIR. Blank" she
said: "a stitch in time saves nine"
The business man sat by the fire
toasting his shins when the physician
arrived.
Lets see your tongue. Any fever?
Yes, a little. You must go to bed. -
DIR. Blank made a rapid diagnosis of his
patient. Flows your temperature?
What, l25? Why, you are great deal
sicker man than You are aware Of
Temperature 125 degrees indeed! Mrs.
A.. YOU must get this man to bed or he
will die"
Thoroughly frightened, the business
man allowed himself to be put to bed
For ten days he fingered there, feeling,
to be sure. not so very i'll, but with his
temperature at that most dangerous
point. The wife meanwhile grew more
and more nervous. Her husband did
not seem very sick He ate well and
slept well; but that temperature! And
the doctor said no one had ever been
known TO get well with a temperature
like that.
Finally, without consulting any one,
she sent in town for the old family
physician. lie was a bluff hearty old
fellow. never wasting words or mincing
matters. He drove out to \. 3 and went
into the sick room.
What's the matter? What are you
shu. up here for?" was his greeting
II don't know. DOCTOR" feebly re
sponded the business man. Il am going
to die
The old physician examined his pulse
and inspected his tongue.
"Notrouble. There you're all right, .
he said.
But my temperature. persisted the
sick man. "You haye't taken my tenn
perature. 1t is 125."
"A hundred and nothing" bluffly re-
piled the doctor. whipping out his Their
mometer and applying it to his patient
Your temperature is normal he
said. at last Get up and dress your
self. and tomorrow go to your office
There's been nothing the matter with
you but the cold everyone is having
Mr.. 4. obeyed. That afternoon they
heard of several other cases in that sub
urb, all under the care of the popular
DIR. Blank. who were dangerously i'll,
and all having temperature of l25 de-
grces.
At night Mrs. A. went round to DR.
Blanks and told him what she had
done; that her husband was up and
dressed, and that he would return to
business in the morning. But she did
not feel well herself. Perhaps she was
tired out. She didn't know. DR.. Blank
looked at her She did look tired He
felt her pulse. II beat rather fast. He
took her temperature. 1t was 125 de-
grces.
"Why. you are very ILL.," he said.
''You should be at home and in bed.
Your temperature is 125 degrees"
DIR. Blank looked anxious.
There isn't anything the matter
with that thermometer, is there?' Mrs.
A. asked.
DIR. Blank placed it under his own
tongue.
And declare. So is mine" he cried
Doctor, let me look at it, said Mrs.
A., taking the little instrument that
had sent twenty or thirty people to bed
that week to await near and certain
death. And in half minute this little
woman had solved the mystery of this
sudden epidemic of high temperatures
The thermometer was broSen.-Boston
journal.