Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-07-06
A Case of Evil Eye.
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
Several victims of an accident were taxi
en- to one OF the big New York hospitals
last week. A number of them were thought
to be dying, and among them was a man
designated as Smith. doubtless for the
purpose of definitely identifying him. who
was badly cut and bruised, and was un-
conscious when he reached the hospital. A
young physician felt his pulse, and push
ing back the lid of one Of his eyes gazed
earnestly at it. Observing that the pupil
Of the eve was greatly enlarged. he re-
marked there was no hope for the poor
fellow. as having a bad heart the dilation
Of the pupil was a sure sign. When a
friend Of Smiths called. later, at the hos
pital. the same physician repeated what
he had previously said. The friend asked
which eye had been examined, and on be-
ing told the left one. said there was IA pc
culiarity about Smiths left eye. What is
it?" asked the physician. IT'S a glass
eye" said the friend. Smith was discharged
from the hospital next day.
II is such carelessness as this that brings
the medical profession into disrepute. TO
a physician knowing his business 1t might
have been plain at a glance that the eye
was glass. There are already enough sneers
at doctors without such chorus swelling
maternal DIS III 6l1E8 fEF -
A large number of the American people
are Of the opinion that doctors do not
know very much, anyhow. and use the
general public as a dumping ground for
theories and an experimental station for
reducing these theories TO practice. That
some unfortunates rave their careers alb
breviated in the effort to prove a theory
to be of practical utility in no wise de-
tracts from the merits Of the medical pro-
fession. The most earnest seekers after
scientific truth occasionally meet with mis-
adventure, or even disaster. when dealing
with inanimate objects, and when human
beings are practiced on fatalities are bound
to occur and the experimental is the
victim.
In the incident Of the glass eye the usual
rule is reversed and the doctor is the vic
tim. The glass eye man passed through
the ordeal in triumph, but the doctor fell
by the wayside. No patient can have con-
Gdeuce in a physician who can't tell a
glass eye from a real one. Such a glazing
error is proof positive that this physician
was not cut out for IN oculist. He may
attain success as a specialist in some other
line. but the oculists are safe from rivalry
on his part. He may, like the country doc
tor, be good on fits. but he will get very
little eye business. He lacks the delicate
perception essential TO one treating EuCn
a finely constructed organ as the eye, and
il would probably be better for him to
abandon the medical profession altogether.
That glass eye will stare him in the face
for years and exercise a baneful influence
on him.
The turning point Of many a mans ca
reer has been of even less apparent mag
nitude than a glass eye. but the Importance
Of an object is not governed by its size.
The eye is not an subject Of
newspaper advertisements. and almost n
newspaper of large circulation has in its
columns an eye. This physician will see the
eye within two minutes Of opening his
morning paper. and in less than a week he
will imagine the eye to cover something
like half a page. II q short time the pa
per Will appear TO him as a single eye with
a CLASSY stare. directed at rim. and he will
lose interest in the news OF the day. II Will
be 10 his advantage to indulge in vigorous
muscular exercise for some time to come,
and he may perhaps by this means be able
to divert his thoughts from eyes. To be
thoroughly ruccesSful he should avoid
glass. on account tf the associations II
has with eyes, and for this reason 1t would
be advisable to take to the woods and camp
out for awhile, using tin vessels, as 1t is