The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-19
DR. 8. WEIR MICHEL.
4 Visit - the once Of the Great
Specialists In Rhtladalphia.


DIR. Q. WEIR MITCHELL.
A visit 70 the once Of The Great
Specialist In Rhiladalrhia.
copyrighted 1859. BY Edward wakeneld.l
PHILADELPHIA. June 12.-fSpeciai Core
spondence. lin every part Of the world
where advanced science has any footing AZ
all, the name Of Samuel Weir Mitchell.
president Of the Medical Society of
Pennsylvania, 10 known and honord. No
man knows more about Americans than
he does; and no man knows more about
the nervous system. Americans. there
fore. may take il with . good grace from
tional disease of this mighty nation 10
nervousness in oil its forms. DR.. Weir
Mitchell is of Scottish descent and is .
Virginian by birth. His father. DR.. John
K. Mitchell. however, practiced for many
years At Philadelphia, where he stood at
the head Of the profession. ''Old DR..
MITCHELL" - he is still affectionately
called by the middle.aged folks at Phila-
delphis. was a. distinguished in his day
for the treatment of nervous disorders rs
DR.. Weir Mitchell is now. and it Is not .
little suggestive to learn that there is .
young DR.. Mitchell" already acknowl-
edged to DO worthy heir apparent to the
scientific honors Of the family. 1t is be-
yond doubt that nervous disease IL largely
hereditary. and 1t Is comforting to find
that special ability for coping with it has q
tendency to become hereditary. too. Phil-
adelphia is full OF points Of interest for
an intellectual enquirer. but there il no
place in it better worthy Of visit.
IL such privilege can be obtained,
than the house in Walnut street,
where an unobstrusive plate on
the window sill announces the pro-
fessional abode Of DR.. s. Weir Mitchell.
Friday il the only day in the week
when there is any chance to see the
doctor otherwise than a. . patient;
because il 10 his rule to receive patients on
his Hospital oay," aud even when an ap-
pointment has been courteously granted
At an early hour on Friday. the outlook on
arriving at the house il not encouraging
There is on the door notice. with slate
beside it, thus: ''0ut. Please write your
business on the slate" Eminent special
lists, however. share with fashionable
ladies the curious faculty Of being tout"
and ''in" at the same time. It all depends
on who the visitor is aud what arrange
ments have been made beforehand. II
DR.. Mitchell has invited you to come, you
need not DO afraid Of the notice on the
door.
In DR.. Mitchell's Office you will be most
courteously received by the doctors secre-
tary, lady of gracious presence, who. by
a quiet gesture, offers you q comfortable
seat and candy resumes her work in a cor
ner Of the room. II you have your wits
about you. the time you have to wait.
whether minutes or hours. will not be time
lost. Very far from it. The first thing
which strikes you il that, though this is
the doctors day off, the room is half full
Of people, Of both sexes and various ages.
These people are we'll worthy OF notice.
They are sufferers from nervous diseases
who have come from such long distance
to see DIR. Mitchell that he cannot find
il in his heart to refuse them, Friday.
though 1t be, or who have some other
particular claim on his scientific attention.
They are well-dressed and refined in ap-
pearance and manners: yet there il that
in their countenAnce and bearing which
is terrible to look upon. Without any
more marked observation than scrupulous
po.iteness allows. one gets there 4 new
revelation OF what nervousness" means.
1t means physical wreck and mental
agony. domestic wretchedness. the
wringing of parental hearts, leaden-
weighted despair where the buoyant
hopefulne.s Of youth should be. drawn
babyhood. Mother OF Sorrows, Not
Dante in his saddest imaginings pictured
deeper or more various human su:ferin "a
than those four walls have looked upon.
Yet they are cheerful walls, and the space
they inclose has nothing Of the erimness
of . doctors "waiting room" 1t il moro
like country gentleman's library. and is
evidently intended TO be pleasant and re-
assuring 10 those who have 10 sit in il
There is no sort Of furniture more resting
to the mind than we'll filled booksheives
and here they are in plenty. The books
are not CHASTITY Iressises on nerves
or blood or bones. They are familiar
standard works and Others not so
familiar which betoken the literary epi.
cure. Here is fine edition of Horace
Walpoe's Letters. which so good q Judge
as Macau.ay pronounced the most read.
able book ever written: and as ones ewes
follow the titles on rows and rows of we'll
bound volumes, they gioat over feast of
good reading that Charles Lamb would
have reveliei Ia. The pietures and nick.
hacks and upholstery are all in keeping
with the bookshesves. The large round
table is cozily Uttered with magazines and
Illustrated papers.
Sunk in a eapacious sofa. With the latest
number o: the Graphic. one can observe
withou: infruding. Ii Is room one could
willingly live in-but not with the p<ople
who are in il nov. There are exceptions.
however. Two of the gentlemen are very
plessant-lookinR fellows and are making
themselves most agreeable to the others.
They are chatting 10 them in Low tones
bot in quite . lively way. and their friend
linezs puts even the most timid at their
ease. One Of them, after each converse
ton, walks noiseiessly into the
great doctors sanctum sanctorum
and presently returns: the other
mean While having engaged somebody else
N quiet talk. Certainly II these young
men are suffering from nervous ,roub bic
they do not show IL. Is theirs some rnys-
isrion. form Of disease which Is not to Do
detected on the surfsee' Not 1t Ali. Ono
Of them. the tall fasr-haired one, with
the winning emile. Is young DR..
Mitchell" and the other. the dark
one. with the glasses and fresh
com pie xion. - also rising light
81 the profession. They are DR.. weis