The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-16
CUNNING OF SICK PEOPLE
Queer Dodges TAat Are Trssd by Patients
to E*soeive the Doctor.

said 1t, and ne added:
Il have to be continually on tne|
lookout for tricks that my women
patients play on me. Not only do
they try to get ahead OF me in all
sorts Of ways. as diet and other mat
ters, but they will invent every con-
ceivable dodge just for the sake Of
enter tainment. For example, yester-
day was taking the temperature OF
eng lady with continuous fever.
t:aa held the Thermometer in her
mouth FIVE minutes, as usual AND
by the way, women always object to
that performance, because 1t prevents
them from talking. One Of my pa.
tients says that she invariably thinks
Uf something important to say the
moment after the glass tube has been
placed between her lips, an d she in
variably forgets what it was by the
time the instrument Is removed.
But, as l was going to remark,
this patient underwent the ordeal,
at the conclusion of which she with
drew the thermometer and handed 1t
to me. I noticed covert grin as she
did so, and wondered what she was
smiling at. But declare that was
positively startled when found that
the instrument only registered 81 de-
grees Fahrenheit II that had been
her actual temperature she would
have been dead; but, on the con-
Jrary, she exhibited every other
SYMPTOM Of rapid convalescence.
The fact was that, just before l
gave her the thermometer, she had
taken sip of water from glass and
incidentally secreted a chunk CT ice
in her mouth. Naturally tha1 af-
iected the record Of the tube The
patient explained that she had be-
come so disgusted with waiting for
her temperature to come down to
normal that she had thought a lit
tie artifce would be both appropriate
and excusable.
But that is nothing compared to
another recent experience OF mine.
A girl of about II was recovering
nicely Of an attack Of jaundice. In
TACT, she was getting so much better
that her sister insisted on resumlng
her ordinary habit Of sleeping with
her. would have preferred not, but
there was really no serious objection.
''One night, having been detained,
I got around rather late 1t was
after 10 o NJ. I walked up stairs
TO the sick room and found the Sis
ters both in bed, the well ne appar-
emily sound asleep. The light burned
rather dimly. 1 felt the pulse, which
had been quite high in the morning
Of the same day. To my surprise it
was full, regular, and quite normal
as to beats. I tried it second tine
with the same result.
HNow, what do you suppose the
trick was in that case? You would
never guess. The two girls had SO
arranged themselves 10 bed that the
arm Of the well sister was under the
sick one and projected in such man
nsr as TO make 1t appear as If it be-
longed to the latter. I had been feel
ing the pulse Of the wrong lady. No
wonder it was healthy.
THE matter Of diet is most diff
cult for the physician to control. HIS
instructions are always apt to be dis
regarded, and he must contend not
only against the reluctant patent
but also with injudicious relatives
and friends, who give her things she
should not eat on the sly. One
woman whom attended in serious
illness got hold of bag Of pears,
brought to her by sympathetic ac-
ouaintance, and secreted them un-
der her bed. She ate them all, and
the fact that she did not die was
simply due to her remarkable consti-
tuition.
s'But will tell you Of little e1-
perience OF that sort which l met
with quite recently. There was a
little girl in GEORGETOWN, about III
years Of age, who was on the point of
coevalescence after typhoid fever.
She had been on liquid diet for two
weeks, and her appeals for more sat-
isfactory food were pitiful. She said
the slops' that l prescribed for her
made her sick.
"Well, one morning, when I came
to the house and was walking up.
stairs to the sick room, l happened to
meet the patients grandmother. She
stood aside to let me pass, and no
ticed that she appeared to conceal
something behind her back. I stopped
short
""Madame,' said, let me see
what you are hiding
s'After a brief demur she produced
it. 1t was piece Of bread.
"sYou were going to give that
bread to Nellie?' said stern!y.
Yes she confessed. The poor
child has been crying for it,
81 took the bread from her without
furthur remark and sought an imme-
diate interview with her son, Nellie's
father
"'Mr. " I said, you must
send your mother home to Baltimore
at once. The next express starts at
3p. ID. She must take it..
s'But DOCTOR objected the
father much astonished, this is a
severe demand on your part. l eau
not understand the reason for it and
am very reluctant to comply l
"sYou must take your choice:' l
replied, between your mothers pres.
ence and your daughters life. A mo-
ment ago I caught her in the act Of
trying to convey slice Of bread to the
o,t;ept lp she had sOccpe6eG in do
ing so unobsecyed. Nellie would Prob.
ably have been dead within forty,
eight hours
Then the old lady went back to
Baltimore that afternoon. As for
Nellie / met her in the street