The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-16
THE HEART
OR THE LIVER ?.

\ loriginai.J
A young girl In becoming morning
gown sat In an easy chair, her head
supported by pillows. Her physician
was beside her.
Doctor, you have been months treat
ing mo without doing me amy good,
and now YOU are going abroad. I
suppose new physician will have to
study my case nil over agnin."
Il can write out a statement Of tho
symptoms"
| "please do no."
Tho doctor wrote:
The patients symptoms nre similar 10
those resulting from nostalgia (homcsick-
nnssl. religious monomania or deep seated
gr1sf. bhe 10 troubled with melancholy,
supplemented IN rare instances by spas
modic bursts OF happiness. All the organs
appear 10 be In a normal condition,
though II In a medical fact that an organ
may BE- diseased and not show tho dis
case IN itself Tho symptoms In this case
arc those OF q diseased liver. have cx-
aEnincd this organ. but found no especial
indications. II would not DO professional
In mo 70 suggest treatment TO my suo-
ccssor. n. M. GURNEY, M. d.
DR.. Tinkham succeeded DR.. Gurney.
and at his FIRST call the patient handed
him his predecessors statement. DR..
Tinkham took out his glasses, wiped
them on q nne cambric haHadkerchicf,
read tho paper carefully and sat with
Il In his hand mlsingiy. Then hs fold
Cd II, slipped II In his pocketbook and
wrote q prescription. When q doctor
writes prescription II ID evident that
something II being done. DR.. Tisk-
hams prescription was aqua pura,
with something In II to make Il taste
pleasant. II was to satisfy the patient |
and her family TIL hs found tims to
sipdy The matter. II
The monthly meeting Of the Medical |
society occurred q few evenings later, |
and DR.. Tinkham stated the case TO |
the assembled members, reading to |
them DR.. Gurney's catalogue Of symp.
toms. i
" Epinaey suggested that the pa
tisnt might be drifting into melancho.
lia and recommended that she be cars-
fully watched lest she do herself tn-
Jury.
DR.. Thane- Brooks. liver specialist
was Of opinion that the cause was IN
the gall ducts.
DR.. Kunkel. professor OF ophthalmol-
ogy In st Luke's hospital, gave sev.
eral instances that had come under his
observation wherein the same symp-
toms had resulted from defects Of
vision.
DR.. Busby, kidney specialist said
that persons suffering from diseases in
his line manifested. the same symp-
toms as the patient under discussion. Il
DR.. Cords suggested that the trouble
lay In the heart.
DR.. Tinkham was disappointed In
not getting unanimous opinion from
his associates and determined to de-
vote himself to studying the case and
the cause X possible. The
next day be visited the patient He
found her In one OF the conditions 4
iy DR.. Gurney. She wss IN /
high state Of exhilaration. The pulse
was strong. the temperature normal. .
md but for the exhilaration the pa.
lent seemed much improved. Having
lRked II anything had excited her, the n
ioctor was Informed that nothing I'M. d
Usual had occurred. She had had sew r
,ral visitors, but none who was not
ised to seeing her often. The doctor !,
,rescribed sedative and went away
more puzzled than ever. Subsequently
10 took several Of his colleagues. spe.
'iallsts. to see the patient Each pro- t
iounced the disease result OF trouble 4
n the organs Of which he had made a !,
tndy. DR.. Tinkham gave their views 1
o the father Of the young hdy. giving
lis own opinion that DR.. Thane-
Brooks. liver specialist should be
allied In for consultation, DR.. Thane-
Brooks, though no marks OF disease
0uld be detected In the organ, was Of )
plnion that the disease was there.
he symptoms clearly indicated II. A
igorous course OF liver treatment was
ecided upon. :,
The patient failed to endure the :,
teatment, the stomach breaking down =
nder the quantities of medicine pour y
into It. DR.. vermaton, stomach spe- III
lalist, remarked facetiously that the
yer must be stronger than the stom- IN
ch and they would do we'll to look u,
,r the seat of the disease In the latter 81
rgnn. :,
The case having bafiled the doctors, i,
trip was recommended. A trip for !,
lcurables serves several purposes. 1t
'kes the patient away from medicines, N
ives change OF scene and air, and the W
,ctors are relieved However, In this le
lse all these benefits were aborted
ON the fact that the patient would A,
u take n trip She persisted In re-
aiming at home, subjected to the
inc routine each day, and each day "
owing worse, u"
But her physician, having recon. IN
ended 4 trip, considered himself not sill
rther responsible. One morning he
ceived by the post letter from the tin
ther of his former patient, 1t was 90,
ry caustlc: -
beg leape to inform you--and through
" the medical GenNemcn who were In ~
rested In my daughters case--that your