The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-01
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THE IRISH DOCTOR.
Some of the Humors That Brighten
His Practice in a Remote Country
District.

| There are two enemies hard to con-
quer in this Country of the Young. One
| is belief in witchcraft, the other love
| for matter out of place" In my dis
| trict, the people really believe in Lepre-
chauns or little people. They still vi
sit a wizened witch doctor to have
dead hands exercised from bewtch-
ed butter and they hunt mythical hares
as often as living red game.
Quite lately I was asked to visit a
maiden of half century who was pos
sessed with a "demmur Now | know
Lizzie Raymond is only suffering from
loneliness pure and simple. Her tiny
shanty, dumped down in narrow boz
reen, is surrounded by acres of golden
gorse, miles of peat land and fields Of
silky bog cotton. No neighbor, how
ever enlivens gray existence for poor
Lizzie. Whatever is understand
able to the unprofessional mind in
Sallyboggin is called a "demmur" and
is treated as a possession of the EVIL
One. Hence | found Lizzie lying ON
the mud floor of her cabin in strip
ped" condition. On her naked breast
was a penny. On the penny an end
of candle. Over both penny and candle
rested an inverted tumber. A wise
woman" was standing, gazing earnestly
at her handiwork and mutterng
charm.
"Ah! doctor darlnt," screamed Lizzie
triumphantly as l entered the room.
ITS a live demmur and the wise
woman has located It, doctor dear!
See it leppin an risin into the glass"
l took the matter in at a glance. The
wise woman had first exhausted air by
lighting her candle end and immediate
ly covering it with a tumbler. This, of
course, acted as kind OF cupping glass,
and flesh rose into the vacuum.
In vain I demonstrated on my own
arm burning a hole in my shirt sleeve
as / did so). Lizzie saw "the too, too
solid flesh, thereon following the law of
suction as well as the demmur under
the breastbone, But she chung to the
belief in the wise woman, and I was dis
missed with ignominy!
In Ireland we do not take offense at
this kind Of thing. / wrote to Lizzie's
landlord, Lord c., saying the woman
was growing soft" and by return post
received a G1 note to pay expenses of
a change for her. A short spell in Dub
lin worked wonders, The demmur no
longer set her heart to galopln' and"the
joultng Of the train stopped the beat
in ov her poolse."
My skill was equally sighted by an
other patient. She told me her liver
was troubling her pointing at the same
time to a spot high up under her left
arm. God bless us! woman / roared,
your liver does not lie there"
'T"think I ought to know where my
own liver lies" was her dignified. insult
ed reply Haven't I suffered from it
these twenty years.
A third patient was more grande
dame than either of these twain. On
being called in--my token" being a
certain red ticket-I asked, And what's
the matter with you, Mrs. Doolin?"
I'm thinkin' that's for you to tell
me-" was the naughty response. just as
if she We're paying me five guinea
fee.
/ have, of course, a due circle of |
patients who firmly believe in every boz
lus given by any Esculapius To one |
such went my friend, the vicar, lately. |
How are you to-day, Mrs. Neale?"
vas the question addressed sympathetic
ally to the greatest grumbler in Sally
boggin.
"Ah! very, very bad. It's the des-
gestion, your reverence! Like a hive
Of bees a buzZin an buzzin' in my |
ouzzum."
rs it always the same?" inquired the
vicar, his eyes twinkling but with inn
movable face0or we learn to compose
our countenances in Ireland).
'Nayl not at all your reverence. 'Tis
1ften like load OF bricks poundin'
an a poundin', that's when the bees
lint buzzin But''-and the wrlnk-
ed, smokebegrimed, old face brighten