The age-herald., 1898-03-06
STUDIED LIFE BEFORE
 HE WROTE OF II Dr. s. Weir Mitchell Took the "Autocrat'S" Advice. PRACTICED FOR 30 YEARS Then Took to Literary Pursuits His Pic turesque Appearance--tiow He Cured One Patient--He Experiment.
 ed Upon Himself.
PRACTICED FOR 30 YEARS
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
 Dr. s. Weir Mitchell, of Philadelphia, au- thor of Hugh Wynne. Free Quaker the best selling American novel of the present year, and of Francois now running in the Century Magazine, is one of the strong est personalities of these times. His literary success is due quite as much to thorough preparation and long-contlnued study of human nature as to any felici- ties of style. He began the practice of medicine when he was about 20, and, acting upon the advice of pr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, whom he knew intimately as fre- quent guest at the home of his father Dr. John K. Mitchell, refrained altogether from literary composition until he had won gem uine eminence in his profession. It took him thirty years approximately to accom- plish this and when at 50, he felt ready to begin his literary career, he brought won derfuly broad and deep knowledge of hu- man nature to his task.
 Dr. Mitchell now lacks only a little more than year of 70, but he carries on the practice of medicine with all his old-time enthusiasm. His patients, however, must go to him, and he confines his attention chiefly to nervous diseases, concerning the treatment of which he is considered the
 
 much behind the most eminent practition- CTS of the Old World.
 His office hours are in the morning, and he never breaks his rule to not receive a patient after noon, though once or twice each week he devotes the latter part of the day to his hospital patients, many of whom are undergoing the famous rest cure treatment.
 At his office he is one of the most pie -IxI- CT forget Dr. Mtchelrs appearance the first time I saw him. said of his pa tients. "He is tall, rather slender, and in his prime must have been athletic looking. His carelessly arranged hair is well sprinkled with gray, and so his beard and mustache. He wears a short velvet jacket of vivid shade of purple, and this color harmonizes admirably with the gen. eral note of the decorations in his studio, as he terms his office.
 s'Its walls are covered with all sorts of interesting objects. The most striking of these, perhaps, Is a framed drawing show Ing the snakes of India, colored to the life and exceedingly well executed. This draw ing was sent to him by some admirers in India who had read his writings on the poison of rattlesnakes. It is my impress sion that it done by native, and was intended to as the frontispiece of a book on Asiatc serpents, but of this am not sure. Other interesting things are the swords used by his brothers as officers in the union army and a. number of pieces of antique furniture.
 "Dr. Mitchels manner with his patients is most courteous, though he can be stern even to gruffness on occasion, and there are many stories of his methods that show him to be capable of great strictness and ingenuity.
 "A woman suffering from nervous pros- tration who was put in his care was sub- jected to his rest cure treatment being put to bed and kept there for some weeks. Like most rest cure patients, she objected to this treatment at first. but later, becom- ing conscious that improvement was taking place. she became resigned and willingly remained inactive
 ''There came day, after time, of course, when her strength had so Increased that the doctor thought 1t time for her to leave the bed. To his surprise, she de- clined, saying that she enjoyed life as she was and that she believed her former weak and suffering state would be sure to return as soon as she should get up and dress. She did not tell this to the doctor person. ally, but to the nurse, who, after persua- sion which amounted practically to plead- ing, informed the doctor of the situation
 "He tried persuasive tactics at first after which he insisted in his most peremptory manner. But neither pleadings nor com mands were of any avail. The woman repeated the statement that she was sat- isfled as she was and meant to stay there.
 "'Very well, madam said Dr. Mitchell. Tt is for your own good to get up. But since you say you will not, shall be obliged to leave you
 "Then he bowed himself out. But he gave instructions to the nurse which he believed would be effectual Acting un- der these instructions the nurse once more asked the woman if she would leave her bed On receiving a. negative reply the nurse placed a sufficient quantity of well cooked and tempting food to last a healthy person three full days upon a table In & far corner of the room, where 1t could not possibly be reached by the patient unless she got up.
 ssThen the nurse departed, locking the door behind her. Forty-eight hours after ward and not before, the door was opened. All the food was gone, the patient was sit- ting up, fully dressed and declared herself cured as indeed she was"
 Dr. Mitchell has never spared himself in studying physical disorders. Once, early in the seventies, he was desirous of secur- ing accurate information to the fnf1u- ence of nerve injuries on local temperature. At first he tried to get this information from his patients, but this method proving unsatisfactory, he decided to find out by experiments upon himself The cutting of a nerve causes first fall and then rise in local temperature So, also, does thor ough freezing.
 Tn order to find out exactly the cause of this rise in temperature the doctor emp tied his own left arm of blood. put on tourniauet and then froze the ulnar nerve at the elbow, making notes meanwhile of his sensations with his right hand. Dr. Mitchell does not like newspaper mo- toriety. and he will not submit to an in- terview.
 sAILORMAN. By David Graham in Washington Star. coi1o lad 10