The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-10
COUNTRY DoCToR's PRACTICE.
The MANY Hardships and Peculiar
Experiences lie Has.

Frim the Journal of Medicine and Science
A continuous practice of twenty
eevon years, even in a small commune
ity and by physician who claims only
ordinary skill or success, must neces-
sarily afford many cases of medical
interest. The clientele does not change
so rapidly as in cities, and one gets
better acquainted with family traits
and pecularlties. These are sometimes
very marked. I am acquainted with
certain families in which the prognosis
in any serious disease is bad from the
start. while / know other families in
which 1 should never think of giving
a patient up--unless recovery was inn
possible-until actually moribund. /
wish it were in my power to describe
adequately some of the more import
ant cases that have come under my
notice.
The early years of my practice in
this town were peculiarly hard. There
were two other physicians in it., but
they were both advanced in years
considerably older than the writer him
self is today. They were both of ex-
cellent repute in the community, and
when the infirmities of age would al
low them to attend they We're sure to
De tdlleu AS a consequence OF
this the greater part of my business
was in the adjoining towns. Living on
the seacoast where the land is much
intersected by estuaries, large part
of my practice was reached by cross
ing the water or by travelling on foot
Many a time have I been routed from
my bed at IL and 1 o'clock at night in
| the dead of winter, and been rowed a
nr
then had to walk up to my knees in
snow for several miles. When l came
here there were but five horses in the
village, and very few i'm the surround
| ing towns. so that walking was often
a necessity. I did not ride a bicycle,
because there were none; roads were
| too poor / remember on two occa-
sions after crossing the water had to
walk five miles in the deep snow. 1
went solely as a matter of duty. l un-
doubtedly saved the life of my patient,
| and he paid me with a promise to
bring me some fish.
Much of my early practice was on
somewhat distant islands, and though
| the trip was enjoyable enough in pleas
ant summer weather in a good yacht
1t was decidedly the reverse in an open
boat in winters gale. The trips in
a summer fog though not dangerous
| were not eXatly agreeable. On several
occasions l have spent nearly the en-
tire night on the water rowing aim.
lessly about and unable to find my des.
tination.
The hardest time that 1 ever expert.
enced was once in the spring when the
ice was breaking up. l had a distance
of but three miles to go--two by water
and one by land. / reached the place
after some delay. but on my return tC
the shore I found the stream so full
of floating ice that it was impossible
l was so anxious to get back that
offered twenty-five dollars to any on,
who would undertake to get me across
The amount offered was five times that
of my fee. l could find no one WHIT
would risk the attempt / then got {
man to take me in his sleigh to a poin
where the ice had not broken up, 81
that 7 might walk across. l started
for house that 1 saw, but lost m,
way on the ice and landed in thicl
woods. There had been a heavy storm
day or two before and I floundereC
around in the snow, one minute on
rock or boulder and the next up TO m,
neck in a drift, until / became so ex
hausted that after l at length got sigh
of the house I could not get to it unit
l had lain down on the snow and restet
nearly half an hour l left my hom
at a. m. and did not get back unit
p. m. lost twenty dollars by bein,
away and have never fully recovere,
from the exposure and fatigue I under
went. Fortunately advancing year
bring some alleviations-I leave al
such trips now for my juniors.