Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-11-30
eEEf exTaAcr Foa a PATIENT.
Suss Bsss.ss ~ was Nss nsAs cerssssa
Thsrs was Trsabis.

NY afo1s kr@aa a8pt4 k"et.@sS's<@s
szperience," repeated the physician
thoughtfully. knocking tho ashes on
the end Of his cigar. That - . hard
question 20 answer offhand. but ! can
tell ron Of IN extremely odd occur
renee in connection with my practice
recently.
1T was . case Of pneumonia A
young lad was sick with the COM
plant. out in Tenailytown. The father.
q poor man and . carpenter by trade.
was an old acquaintance of mine, hav-
ing done odd jobs for me occasionally.
He insisted on employing my services.
though l recommended practitioner
nearer at hand. because / could not
possibly get out there to visit the pa
tient more than once day.
"The disease had already reached Q
critical stage when l was first sum-
moned. After writing n couple Of pre-
scriptions and giving directions rs to
other matters, called the father and
requested his attention TO certain in
structions respecting food Said to
him:
Take this quart whisky bottle and
put into ii one pound Of finely chopped
lean beef. cork II tightly. place IL in .
pot OF water and let IL boil four hours.
That will make the strongest kind OF
extrsct--a highly concentrated form Of
nourishment. Give to the boy one table,
spoonful of il every hour
II went away satisfied that every
thing was provided for. The next day
returned TO find my patient in q state
OF collapse. In haste called for bran
dy and milk and managed to revive
him. For the life Of me, could not
account for the situation Of affairs. l
summoned the father. who was nearly
distracted with anxiety. and question
ed him
- Have you given him the beef ex-
tract orderedf' asked.
",Oh. yes. SIR ne replied.
Every hour,'
"'Ycs. SIR
"'You put pound Of chopped raw
beef into the bottle and boiled it?'
Yes. sir. Corked il up aud boil
ed il four hours in pot Of water. He's
had a tablespoonful of the stuff every
hour since you were here last.
1T beats me. said. Why. !
could have supposed that the boy was
exanimate from sheer hamilton. Bring
me some If the beef extract and let me
see il.
Presently half tumblerful of the
preparation was brought and submitted
to me for examination. could hardly
believe my senses. II looked like
water; IL tasted like water; it was
water and nothing else.
Whatdoes this meant demand
ed angrily.
That's the stuff you ordered. sir.
replied the father confidently. Il made
it myself. according to your own direc-
tions-boiled the bottle of beef just ms
you said. But must confess that
thought II was pretty weak kind OF
broth for sick boy
Il stared at him for a minute or two
in wonder. Then a light began to
dawn on me. gssped and said:
Bring me the bottle!
ne ulu 10. It's CONTENTS eNiutntiy
had not been disturbed. poured from
IL a tablespoonful of thick and nourish-
ing fluid and administered II to the pa
titnt
The father looked on as il awe
struck.
Why said he. You never told
me that. You said to cork up the bot
Ito. but you did not tell me TO uncork
il. 80 l thought that you meant /
should give him the water it was boiled
int
80 that was what my patient had
been fed ON for "a hours-boiled water
and nothing moro. No wonder that
found him in n state Of collapse. He
recovered. but II was narrow squeeze,
assure you. Washington Star.