The Republican., 1899-07-13
The Doctors First Case
By Fred F. Foster.


THOUGH ''a prophet is not without
honor save in his own country and
home contains a truth that is applica-
able to any and every vocation, Frank
Woodson, having completed his
course" at a medical college, displayed
his ''shingle' in Garfield village, where
he was born and had always had a
home, where no physician had ever been
located.
As he sat alone in his office-a small
and meagerly equipped apartment
quite late one dismal August evening,
wondering when his professional serv-
ices would be called into requisition.
young man entered his presence ana
exclaimed:
"Col. Barnes is thought to be dying
and you are wanted in his home as soon
as you can get there.
The young doctor hastened into the
presence of him who was to be his first
patient, whom he found lying on a
cGuch-near which his only child, a
motherless daughter, was sitting and
chating his temples. He was in an un-
conscious condition, his heart beating
feebly, his lips as livid as those of a
corpse, his skin clammy.
During his medical course DR.. Wood
son had been especially interested in
toXicology, and Immediately diagnosed
the case as one of alkaloid poisoning.
He administered an emetic, subcutane-
oGsly, which acted at once, restoring
his patient to consciousness, though he
was too weak to utter a word or even
move a hand.
do you know anything concerning
the medicines which he has been taxi
ing? heinquired, addressing the daugh-
ter.
For two days he has been improving
so rapidly that DR.. Howe deemed it ad-
visable for him to take no medicine, but
occasionally to take little wine as a
stimulant."
'How did this attack come on2'
AN hour or so ago he expressed a
desire for some wine, and | got it for
him. Soon after he remarked that he
was terribly sleepy and, lying down
scious. [ feared that some heart trouble
had attacked him which might prove
fatal and sent for you
Il should like to re the glass from
which he took the wine"
He seldom took more than two
swallows of it at time, and drank it
from the bottle in which it came to
him"
Let me see the bottle, if you please"
ut is the one without a label on the
stand near which you are
Just as he had taken it into his hand
DIR. Howe entered the room. and soon
had been informed relative to the CON
dition in which Col. Barnes had been
found by the inexperienced practitioner
and the treatment" causing him to
nervously eXclaim:
''It is incomprehensibe to me why
such symptoms should have manifested
themselves, but you undoubtedly sSved
his life"
A few Aoments later DR.. Wopdson
said
Il should like to confer with you pri-
vately," addressing DR.. Howe.
''Then L will leave -rhe room,' Miss
Barnes observed, and presently the two
physicians were by themselves.
What do you think of the case?" Dr.
Woodson asked.
'As | said before, it is incomprehensi-
BILE to me-" was the reply.
at is not to me-"
''Isn't?" fell from DR.. Howe's lips in
tone of amazement.
"In my opinion he was deliberately
poisoned, with intent to kill"
what" calculated DIR. Howe, in
more amazed tone than had been his
before.
Had you left with him any medicine
which, even in an overdose, would pro-
duce symptoms such as were his?"
81 had not"
'Do you think that, within his reach,
he had any allaloid poison?"
81 do not"
"Do you see the tiny specks on the
inside of this vessel?" inquired DR..
.Woodson, holding up the bottle ia which
was the wine.
"Yes."
''The wine itself would not generate
them?"
''It would not.'
my theory is that the wine was doc
tored, and if you have no objection to