The Indianapolis journal., 1902-11-09
DO NOT MARRY THEIR PATIENTS.
Doctors Whom They Consult Learn to
Know Women Too Well.
Philadelnhia Press

Philadelphia Press.
Doctors seldom marry their women pa
tients,' said a general practitioner In TINS
city city, last week They know them too
''That is not gallant protested the vis-
itor.
"Perhaps not" he admitted, "but it is
honest. lit is an old saying that the only
persons who know anything about
woman's real nature are her physician ana
her pastor. 1t is matter or personal ex-
perience that what her doctor doesn
know would scarcely fill a sheet of note
paper 1t is woman's natural instinct
to confide in her doctor. She cant help
IL: neither can he. She doesn't mean any
harm by il: neither does he, but somehow
after he has listened to her babbling ne
doesn't often care to marry right away.
1t sometimes seems that she even taxes
delight in revealing to him the KINKS rr;ad Ia
her disposition. A man might be married
to woman twenty years and not know
half as much about her true character as
a doctor who has dosed her with dozen
pills. -,,.
IAN old doctor is more likely to overlook
flaws in his patients than younger man,
and in most of the marriages tnat take
nIace between women OF unSound pny-
sique and their attending physicians the
ages of the twain are proDably wen aloilS
on the shady side. A young doctor JUST
out Of college is. IN some some resPee5s; soon @ as
he gets any kind of a practice he Is Wiling
to marry, but nine times out Oh ten tne
sweet things who go TO MN Ior a1Vice uiN Ce
about their nerves display some trlck OF
Temperament that shocks his unseasoheu
taste and he goes away and marrleS
nice, healthy girl who is minus heaoacnes
and bile and consequently never gives MN
a chance to study her at close range.
How about the nurses?" asked the Vls-
itor "Don't they share a doctors con-
tempt for the frailties OF their maze pa
tients?' 80, ,s
The practitioners eye kindled with e. pride
i'm his sex. mo, SIR" he said, they DOM T.,
for the simple reason that a SICK man MAJ
doesn't turn himself into family ms
torian. He's a difficult patient In some
wavs: he can't bear pain, and he howls
like an Indian over nothing, but ne doeSn |
to talk herself dry before she can begin to
get better. 1t Is this prediction for gos-
Sip that makes some doctors wives go TO
strange physicians for treatmen'; L nave
cialist. away up at the top notch or the
profession. i felt pretty squeamlsh ABOUT
prescribing for her the hrst time sne caiie9; q:
WHY don't you consult your husband!
asked Your case comes in his line.
"sWhy,' she said, whom should tell
| things to If he were to treat me! He
wouldn't listen And, besides, don't want
| him TO know everything. Since I've been
| feeling badly I've been troubled with a
| host of queer ideas and fancies, and II l
should talk them over @ W1n n,d MN ae ne weuao
rations for clapping me into strait-jacket.
| He doesn't suspect half my oddities as yet.
and the only way cdh Keep my noiu ol
him is TO consult some other physician. III
| you don't want the case III go to somoody
| who does
| Hers is by no means an exceptional
| case. Dentists wives are likewise addicted
To hlving their toothache drops and their
| Gold filling outside the home Office. In this
| they are wise No woman can ever look
| haautiful TO the man who has drilled holes
| in her teeth For that reason dentists are
| even less likely to marry their patients
| than regular physicians.
| "Far. eye and nose specialist, on the
| other hand, are rather inclined TO fall In
| tove with their patients. Anyway, fine eyes
and a good nose are always valuable as
| SETS" -,
.Doctor." interrupted the visitor
wouldn't you marry one or your pa
| tents .,..
| tively. ''I didn't"