Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-26
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Case of Tiny
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/ "Tell me- doctor, how It is that you
are working into such q splendid prac-
tice Is it natural adaptability for the
medical profession, scientific attain
ments or hard work."
cit is neither of these. Ny start
came from the faculty of adapting my
self to my surroundings
Explain"
"On being graduated from the med
ical college found it advisable TO act
for time as house surgeon in prom
inent hospital. l applied for vacant
/ position of this kind where the exam
ination was said to be very severe and
several young doctors had failed.
was told that they all knew too little
about medicine to satisfy the commit
tee 1 made up my mind that they
knew too much. When called before a
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 1 passed with fly
ing colOrs.
'Just as was about to leave the
ed one day to go at once to the house
of a 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:
81 fear she's gone
"'The patient is
"'Tiny. Come quick And she led
the way upstairs to a bedroom and TO
II Ia, l<.x-r IA
have made their ailments my speciality.
Therefore 1 was pleased to have an
opportunity to help n child. Miss Muir
Gibson went to the crib, turned down
the clothing and exposed-a poodle!
Overcoming my disappointment and
a repulsion 1 have always felt at see
ing dog treated as a child, held the
poodle's paw, took out my watch and
looked dubious.
"'Oh, doctor, is there any hope?
"'Tiny is suffering from tubercu-
losity of the left ventricle of the intes-
tines. Formerly she must have died.
Under the present methods she may be
saved, but l must take her to my Of
fee and perform an operation
"'Can't it be done here?
"'On no account All my instru-
ments are there and all my appurte-
nances.'
az will send her at once by my
man,
- 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!
Will 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
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 l had an important case
on hand and would not likely be at the
Office till evening. / was hunting a
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
a 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 1 sent word to Miss Muir
Gibson that she was quite recovered
and as soon as 1 could get little flesh
on her bones / would send her home.
A request came back to send her at
once, so 1 took her myself.
Miss Murchison shed tears over
Tiny's condition. The dogs appear
ance indicated clearly that l had had
q hard struggle to save her life. 1
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 winter
THAT 1 said, taking out n magnify |
ing glass to gain time. oh, 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 n different COLOR
"'But that tan on the end of her tail |
did that come in the same way?
81 pretended not to hear. When the |
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
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 on to divert her atten-
lion 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
fighting itself. fear she will not re-
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