Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-09-23

anything witsost medical advice Per
haps you'd like nv eardf"
Re presented u. and zaw TINT he
Was q physician praetieing At the
springs began 20 be really alarmed.
Nas Il possible that my appearance
was such, "a % enable any competent
doctor Ia pick me out Of crowd A. an
invalid?
"Dr. Hawkins. said I, contidentiallr.
do look pretty h&ki7~
Not what I'd call robust said he;
"not like the MAJ. who eoald teko he
baths Just for fun What yoa nesd h
medical advice"
Fifty miles further along ] had my
soat pockets fun os physicians cards.
cad was beginning 70 put Shen into
my grlpsack. Some Of them wete pre-
scented 20 me by the distinguished gen
tlcmen personally, and Others by brake
men. newsboys, eoiored men on station
platforms and self-sacrificing persons
who devoted their time tome solely for
the purpose OF 81 ->ng me from the pro-
fessional advice OF the man with whom
l had just finished talking nj the mo-
ment
| grew very tired of this business
and was thus lead 20 insult the only
man l encountered who did not de-
serve il. We were near our destina-
tion when he dropped into the seat be-
side me.
"Well," said I, "hand out your card.
and don't waste time telling me that I
can't live without you l know that
already"
you're way OF, stranger" said he.
I'm no doctor. I'm a travelling man
from New York"
shook hands with him cordially.
what is this little game, anyhow"
] asked. ~ never saw anything like
IL except at Camden. n. j., where the
ministers try to- perform the marriage
ceremony for person as soon As he
gets within ten miles Of the town. Its
q great place for runaway matches,
you know. Every hack driver acts as
a clergyman's agent. and young man
and young woman who go there with
the most platonic intentions viii be
married fifteen times before they can
get away"
1T lis something like that" said he.
you see, In dull seasons. about third
of the population of Hot Springs Is
made up of doctors- Then you bet
that competition Is sharp. All of them
have runners out and some of the
poorer ones work passes on the rail-
roads, and travel clear TO St. Louis TO
intercep; invalids- Don't you go near
any OF them"
took this gentleman's advice. Dur
ing my stay in Hot Springs consulted
nobody but took the baths according
TO my memory of what the doctors had
said 10 me. Some of them had advised
bathing In the morning. so tried that
rs n matter Of precaution. Others had
recommended the forenoon, so l
dropped into the tank regularly about
eleven o'clock. The afternoon had
seemed to be favorite. so generally
took two dips between lunch and din
ner. Hawkins had mentioned Tuesday
and Friday as the best days. Parkinson
had suggested Monday, Wednesday
and Saturday. Others named Thursday
or Sunday. showed no partiality. I
bathed on twenty-one consecutive
days Then 1 came east. and had
rheumatism In twenty-one distinct and
separate FORMS l had IL in all the
ways that had ever been seen at the
Springs. and several that were original
with me- Ny doctor In brooklyn tells
me that am an object of deep interest
To him Tie says that the most robust
of men should never take the Arkansas
hot baths more than twice q week.
HOWARD FIELDIxo.