Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-09
THE IRISH DOCTOR,
HumOrs of His Practice i'm n Remote
Country District.

from the Nineteenth
There are two enemies hard to conquer in
this country of the young. One is belief in
witchcraft. the other a love for matter
out OF place. In my district the people
really believe In Leprechauns, or little peo-
pie. They still visit wzened witch doc
tor to have dead hands" exercised from
bewitched butter. and they hunt mythical
hares often living red game.
Quite lately 1 was asked to visit maid
en- of half century who was possessed
with a 'tdemmur." Now | know Lizzie Red
mond is only suffering from loneliness pure
and simple. Her tiny shanty dumped down in
a narrow boreen. is surrounded by acres of
golden gorse, miles OF peat land and fields
of silky bog cotton. No neighbor. however,
enlivens gray existence for poor Lizzie.
What ever is on-understandable to the I'M
professional mind in Sally boggin 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 in
verted tumbler. a wise woman was
standing gazing earnestly at her handiwork
and mutterng a charm.
All! doctor darlint," screamed Lizzie tri-
umphantly as l entered the room. its a
live demmur! And the wise woman has To-
Gated it, doctor dear. See it a-leppin an
arisin into the glass"
TOOK IN the matter at Il glance. The
wise woman had first exhausted the air by
lighting her candle end and Immediately
covering ii with lumber. This. of course,
acted as kind of cupping glass, and flesh
rose into the vacuum.
In vain / demonstrated on my own arm
burning hole in my shirt sleeve as | did
SOD Lizzie saw the too, too solid flesh
thereon following the law of suction
well as the demmur under the breast bone.
But she chung to the belief in the wise
woman, and L was dismissed with igno-
mlny.
In ireland we do not take offense at this
kind of thing. | wrote to LiZze's landlord,
Lord C, saying the woman growing
soft, and by return post received a fl
note to pay expenses of a change for her.
a short spell in Dublin worked wonders.
The demmur no longer set her heart a-gal-
lCpin', and the joulting of the train stop
ped the beatn' ov her poolse.'
My skill was equally sighted by another
troubling her, pointing at the same time
to spot high up under her left arm. God
bless US, woman!' l roared, your liver
does not lie there
Il think L ought to know where my own
liver les, was her dignifed. insulted re-
ply. Haven't L suffered from it these
twenty years."
A third patient grande dame
than either of these twain. on being called
in-my token being a certain red ticket
| asked: And what's the matter with you.
Mrs. Doolan?''
was the naughty response. just as if she
were paying ME a five-guinea fee.
L nave, of course, due circle of patients
who firmly believe in every bolus given by
any Esculapius. To one such went my
friend, the vicar. lately.
How are you today, Mrs. Neale?" was
the question addressed sympatheticalfy to
the greatest grumbler in Sallyboggn.
'Ah! very, very bad. It's the desgestion,
your reverence! Like hive of bees a-buzz-
in an abuZzin' in my buzzum.''
rs it always the same?" inquired tho
vicar. his eyes twinkling, but with immov-
able face (for learn to compose our
countenances in Ire.and).
Nay, not at all, your reverence. It's
often like load bricks. a-poundin an
a-poundin', that's when the bees amt a.
buzzin'. But" and the wrinkled. smoke
grimed old face brightened-"but the doe
tor-God bless him-is after givin' me de-
scription. an if it don't cure me. he'll de-
scribe me agin.
In Sallyboggin for years a certain old
woman levied weekly tribute charita-
bly, disposed folk. All at once ''nevvy'
from America turned up. called on her
Patrons and after thanking them for
their kindness carried of his mothers Sis
ter to end her days in comfort. But the
widow Hooligan-pronounced 'Hooli' han
did not lay her bones across the water. She
soon reappeared. Il couldn't stop in it,
misthress dear she explained to lady.
Me sisters sons a good bhoy. but, be-
tween ourselves, they would ha' washed me
r.. Ia.lth