Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-10-16
THE CASE
OF TINY
[Original.l

are working into such a splendi B prac-
tice. Is it natural adaptability for the
medical profession, scientific attain
ments or hard work?"
ut is neither of these. Ny start
came from the faculty Of adapting my,
self to my surroundings"
I "Exp1ai,."
ION being graduated from the med
tcal college found it advisable to act
Tor time as house surgeon in q prom
inent hospital. l applied for vacant
position Of this kind where the exam
1nation was said to be very severe and
several young .octors had failed. l
was told that they all knew too little
about medicine to satisfy the commit
tee made up my mind that they
knew too much. When called before
lot Of gray heads, instead Of telling
them about new discoveries Of which
they were ignorant 1 confined myself
to the regime Of thirty years before.
The result was that passed with fy-
ing colors.
"Just as was about to leave the
hospital for general practice was call
ed one day to go at once to the house
OF maiden lady who took great in
terest in the hospital and was on the
board of managers. The lady met me
in the hall with the exclamation:
fear she's gone
1.-THE patient is
"sTiny. Come quick And she Led
the way upstairs to a bedroom and to
crib in corner. love children and
have made their ailments my speciality.
Therefore was pleased to have an
opportunity to help child. Miss Muir
Gibson went to the crib, turned down
the clothing and exposed-a poodle!
Overcoming my disappointment and
repulsion have always felt at see
ing dog treated as child. held the
poodles paw, took out my watch and
looked dubious.
"'Oh, doctor, Is there any hope?'
Tiny is suffering from a tubercu-
losity Of the left ventricle of the intes-
tines. Formerly she must have died.
Under the present methods she may be
saved, but 1 must take her to my Of
flee and perform an operation
"'On no account. All my instru-
ments are there and all my appurte-
hances.'
81 will send her at once by my
man.
"I would not permit any one but
myself to carry her. The heart is
weak, and she must not suffer any
shock
"'Oh, doctor, how good you are!
VIII you send me daily bulletins?'
"'Every few hours till Tiny is out
Of danger
/ 81 took Tiny to my Office and in an
hour sent word to Miss Murchison
4 that she was out of danger. This was
! the truth, for the dog was dead.
patients calling on me the next day
Were told that had an important case
on hand and would not likely be at the
Office till evening. / was. hunting
dog that looked so much like Tiny that
Miss Murchison would not know the
difference. left my practice for three
days to go to the dogs but did not find
mate for the deceased till the after
noon Of the third. She was fat little
beast, and 1t would never do to send
her home after so serious an operation
In SO sleek a condition, so put her on
quarter rations till her bones looked
for all the world like the ribbed sea
sand Then I sent word to Miss Muir
Gibson that she was quite recovered
and as soon as could get little flesh
on her bones l would send her home.
A hoo 10 pf
once, so took her myself.
''A1iss Murchison shed tears over
Tiny's condition. The dogs appear
ance indicated clearly that 1 had had
hard struggle to save her life. l
dreaded lest the lady should discover
some difference between the old and
the new, and she did.
"'Why, DOCTOR she exclaimed, how
came that black spot on her stomach
where it was pure white?'
THAT said, taking out magnify
ing glass to gain time. oh, l see!
That's where the incision was made.
The skin was removed at that point,
and frequently after such removal the
hair grows again in a different color
"'But that tan on the end Of her tail
did that come in the same way?
II pretended not to hear. When thu
question was repeated, had solved the
medical problem upon which my an
swer depended.
"Tiny's brain has had very severe
shock, and the brain and spinal column
are one and the same. In nervous de-
preston human beings are liable to q
soreness Of the coccyx, though we do
not usually find it in dogs. But Tiny.
you know, is so like human
"'She is, doctor, and your apprecIa-
ton of this fact must have been of
great advantage in her treatment"
"'One disappointment is in store for
YOU / hurried Oh to divert her atten-
ton from any more difference, or, rath-
er, to prepare for another inevitable
one. 'Tiny's memory has been i'm
Paired, and it will be week or so in
righting itself. fear she will not re-
member her name, Try her.