The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1897-12-17
& BENTON
CALLING lAs DOCTOR.

People Are Not Confederate of the
Physician's Comfort.
Without Intending to be so, people
are extremely inconsiderate to their
physicians, and unwittingly cause them
a great deal of trouble and weariness.
At a somewhat informal meeting OF
doctors and nurses, held not long since,
for the purpose of discussing the rela-
tions between the two, some very in
teresting facts were brought out and
talked over with that cIearness of per-
ception and directness that character
ize persons whose long familiarity with
iheir business renders them experts
''In the course of my duties as NURSE
said u young woman who has made a
name for herself, 81 have observed that
Imagination and apprehension have a
great deal to do with sending for doc
tors at unreasonable hours. AS rule
the sufferer might just as well wait un-
til morning or send before it is
late into the night. But fidgety and con-
sequential folk seem to think that it
adds to their Importance and the grav-
ity of the situation if they rouse the
house at a time when everybody is or
ought to be asleep and send some serv-
amt or member OF the family post haste
for medical aid"
When people are ailing they get tired
and nervous and fretful and out of joint
with everybody and erything. They
are to a certain extent entertained and
amused or at least occupied during the
day. Their thoughts are distracted in
spite of themselves, and they have less
nervous force to expend upon them
selves. When night comes and the
house is quiet they are left more to
themselves, and their thoughts and
fancies run riot. They magnify their
ills, and dwell upon their pains and
give free rein to their fears. s.rs5Ss,
We all know that by indulging our
selves we get into apprehensive states
and fancy all sorts of dreadful things
when once we give way to our feelings.
And it is especially so with sick per-
sons. They begin to think and to worry
and wonder if they arc really growing
worse, and, if there is an extra twinge of
pain or a little faintness or undue nerv-
BUSINESS, they lose their heads at once,
and every ybody is reused to minister to
what is really nothing more nor less
than the legitimate result of too much
self-examination and too close atten-
ton to symptoms that would not be at
al alarming if they were not dwelt
Upon. ~
OF course there are acute attacks of
various diseases that demand instant
attention, but when. the doctor has
made one call he is usually quite well
qualified to state whether or not there
are conditions that are likely to arise
that may give cause for alarm
81 have had many patients who could,
with little explanation and quieting,
be reconciled to waiting for the doctor
until morning, acded the young
woman. .S1
81 have made it a rule in my ten
years experience never to send for a
physician after ten o'cloclc at night or
before seven o'clock in the morning un-
less there was imperative need of it.
Doctors need rest and sleep Just as
much as other persons, and it is mani
fest injustice to them to call them out
1t night unless it is absolutely neces-
sary. With reasonable consideration.
;he doctor will live longer and be more
valuable to his patients than If he were
dragged out at unreasonable hours and