The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-13
YOUNG DOCTORS.
Kindly Acts Ofa Medical Student
Insured Him
A Splendid Practice in His Pro-
fessiOnal Career.
WON BY DARN
The Young Physician Who Gets
Clear Down and Out.
DeFices and Self Denial Employ
ed to Get Sufficient Money.
WON BY DARING
By Anthony J. Henson.


WING on a skeleton would hard
~ be considered living at all,
but a certain Well-knoWn ply
stefan of Philadelphia lived on
80 a skeleton for six months when
he was a young physician and.
WHAT'S more. managed to keep body
and soul together by means of it until
the tickle fortune that all young physi-
Clans must WOO if they are to win out
finally beamed upon him.
Much sooner after beginning his
professional career than he had antici-
pated in even his gIoomiest moments,
this particular physician found himself
looking into the cavernous depths of
an empty pOcketbOok. Also, he was
confronted by boarding obligation
that was pressing for settlement. He
tried in vain to think of some one from
whom he had not already borrowed
and of whom he could be reasOna bly,
certain Of securing a loan. He turned
this way and that, and at last brought
UP against the disagreeable thought
that the only thing left to him was to
erect temporary loan with that
paWnbroker who would give him the
best terms.
But what to pawn? He looked at
his bag of shining instruments. No
not them; although he had not used
them once since getting them. he
might be called upCO to use them auv
time. He cast his eyes on his books
he needed them too much: they were
his only sOlace. And it would not do to
pawn any of the furniture There was
none too much Of 1t, anyway, and with
one piece gone the office would look
poverty-stricken and shabby to the
first person soliciting his services
All, the skeIetOni
That was always kept in a closet
He could get along very well without
ii for a time in his reading-it was lust
the thing to pawn, though it was the
pride Of his fittings, and had been Sc
lected with the greatest care.
So he took it off its hook in the
closet, slipped it into a big black bag
and, in the dusk of the evening, with
the burden over his back wended his
way to a paWnshOp. Fifteen minutes
later he had a ticket and $25 in his
pocket.
That was the first of a dozen odd
trips that the skeleton, riding upon
the doctors back, made to the pawn
shop Whenever things looked up with
its owner the skeleton would be re-
deemed Whenever patients failed to
turn UP in time to replenish his pock-
ethook. to the pawnsh0p the skeleton
would go once more. PrOVidenually
Aor the doctor. patient would ALWAYS
turn UP before the money secured by
pledging the skeleton had been ex-
hausted.
The last trip that the wire-strung
bones made to "mine uncle" occurred
three days before the doctor was called
I'm to minister to a wealthy man of the
neighborhood, the family doctor being
out of town on a short vacation. He
made a decided hit with the old man.
who, at the end of a fortnight, handed
him a check out of all size with the
services rendered, and, more. sent pa
tients the young mans way.
The doctor is prosperous now. and
the credit for his prosperity he gives
to his skeleton. For" he always saws,
I'm finishing the story, eff it hadn't
been for 1t I might not have been able
% hang on till the grateful rich pa
tent came my way.
"A Practice Ready at Hand
The old adage that great oaks from
exemplihed than in the case of one of
Rochester's leading general practition-
ers.
Twenty years ago he went to that
city from the town of Penn Yen to
study medicine. Two or three months
after entering medical school he one
day met in the hall his landlady as
she was fastening to her room to treat
as best she could q finger that she
had injured while working about the
house. The student noticed her dis
tress, and politely volunteered to dress
the wound, explaining that he was
e. medical student.
The pronered services were CRATE
fully received, the wound healed
nicely, and so full Of the young man
kindness was the good woman that
she told all her bOarders about him
as to speak of hla = zr lends in
the neighborhood-
the result was that the other board
ers and some persons from outside
eTare soon seeking the student In SINH
lar cases of emergency, such as cuts