Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-17
THE DOCTORS LIFE
Is Not Always a Continuous
Round Of Pleasure.
H. Has Many Troubles But Is a Good
rh Story Teller. rs .'a.
John Quill Tells Some As Related to
H".' Him. '


pulls your. tongue out about a foot and
with a very professional air inform.
. you that you are sick: SAYS YOUR livel
is little off. sort of torpid as it were
, and above all other things YOU need or
this earth is exercise; advises YOU t.
get up with the lark every mornins
ana saw a couple or cords of spruce
edgings before breakfast; live on brar
mash and spring water and winds VI
by prescribing some Of the worst tast-
ing connections that was ever brewed
up in the mysterious depths Of a drug
store.
But the doctors life is not one daily
round of pleasure with pathway strewn
with roses and forget-me-nots. with
hot-house fruit in abundance all the
year round. A few midnight calls, ex-
tending from midnight until morning.
with mercury humping the bottom of
the thermometer endeavoring to go
Hover takes the romance out of the
doctors life.
Sometimes the poor NJ. D. crawls out
Of good warm bed. drives five or six
Imiles up country in the good bracing air
only to find on his arrival that some in
discreet member of the household has
gorged himself with mince pie the
night before and has been enjoying the
fleeing hours with little cattle show
all to himself and has performed sew
eral equestrian feats not down on the
program while trying to beat Baby
Wilkes record with a nightmare.
After fixing the patient up he is in
formed by the financier of the family
that pa will be in, when he comes
| down. and settle. The doctor wonders
what that promise is worth in cold
| cash as he turns his face homeward
| while the sweet dove Of peace hovers
like benediction over the household.
One thing you are pretty sure to find
in doctor is good story teller, it is
part of their business They always
keep a good stock Of "reminiscences on
tap and when they find a patient with
blue streak they fire one Of these sto-
ries at him and give the credit of the
patients recovery to the medicine.
Remembering the story telling gift of
the profesh I wandered into doctors
office the other day and found the NJ. D.
1T leisure and best of all In laxative
mood SO passed him a. little nicotine
poison in the shape of good cigar and
he commenced to expand. =. ..o,. 80, r..
He Said DO you Know T. got the
reputation once Of being rthe greatest
healer that ever hung UP a sheepskin
diploma. 1t was like this had just
graduated from college and stuck out
my shingle in small town in eastern
Maine and was looking. for victims.
But that was the healthiest town I
ever saw. You couldn't hire a man to
be sick, and il one did by accident feel
little out of sorts he got well long be-
fore I could get to, his, house, My col
league, an old man, was curing what
ills that flesh was heir, To and l got the
rest. n "
Zone night my door-bell rang f,lri-
Ously and I was out Of bed in an in
slant and rushed to the window in my
pa amas. A small sized boy stood on
the steps. 1 asked what was wanted.
He said he wanted me to go and see
Mr.. c. at once so started and on ar
irving at the house found that Mr.. C.
was patient of the old Doctors. I
looked him over pretty thoroughly but
could not see anything the matter with
him so took my fever thermometer and
placed 1t in his mouth to take his tent
Derature. He hung onto it for some;
time until l removed it to look at the
reading. You could imagine my sur
prise when the patient Enlightened up
and said. Doctor, 1 am better.
never had anything do me so much
good in my life. I'd give, more Tor you
than any doctor I ever saw. You are
unnatural born healer.'i .' ...st Il
- la 49, ,
mediate danger of my patient joining
the silent majority SO collected my fee
and departed but ever after that the
man was my patient and he told everya
body for miles around how l had helped
him and my reputation spread like
contagion and when / left there had a
very good practice. ..,.. ..+ 49,.
but that is only one of the many
things an NJ. d. bumps up against. The
other day was sitting in my back
office looking over my mail when the
door opened and a man came in. He
was a rather rough looking customer.
n did not remember his name but had
doctOred his family some years ago.
He said he wanted prescription to
get some alcohol. l asked him what he
wanted the alcohol for and he said for
mechanical purposes. T. was busy so
did not question him very closly but
wrote the prescription and handed It to
him He, said he would be in the next
day. and settle and as he started
toward the door I wondered what kind
Of g mechanical machine he was work.
ing on so said to him. My man what
do you use alcohol for mechanically 7
Is rHe stopped. hesitated moment, put
on a very wise look and said. Il drink
It and saw wood So parted with him
all right. "a. .a4s.
i"But have a patient up street
: that 1t. Ia a real pleasure to go and
see. When feel little blue always
hunt him up for he Is the most cheer
full cuss under all circumstances I
ever run across. He has had consid-
! cradle sickness In his family all the
fall and winter. in fact SO much so
that it has kept him pretty short for
cash. He was telling me the other
day he was keeping his eye out for
the return of some prodigal son SO as
to go and get piece OF the calf. He
sent for me the other day. wonder
ed who was sick that time. When
got to the house found it was the