Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-06
DAILY. STORY,
A DOCTORS RUSE.
[Original.l

| had no patients in Twelfth street.
which was not locality | cared to
practice in. had never heard of Mrs,
Partridge and wondered why she had
called me. Nevertheless / responded.
/ found Il woman more than sixty
years of age, whose appearance and
home We're by no means prepOssessing.
She told me that she was very much
run down and wished a tonic. | wrote
Il prescription, and she asked me what
| was giving her. l told her the spirits
of gentian. She said she had taken Il
great deal of it and it had done her no
good. She had once taken arsenic, and
it had built her up. l wrote new. pre-
scription for arsenic, gave it to her
and hurried away to Il very important
case awaiting me.
The next day l received Il hurry call
to Mrs. Partridge, whom | found
groaning as if in great pain. She told
me that ] must have made a mistake
in the quantity of the dose l had pre-
scribed, for she had taken only half
dose and was i'll great agony. | asked
cine. She showed 1t to me. and the
dose marked on it was quite enough to
kill. l suspected something wrong.
Her sufferings appeared to be feigned.
The prescription is with the drug
gist, l suppose" l said.
. mo. | always have him return my
prescriptions. prefer to keep them
Let me see it
She had stopped grooming and seem
ed to be thinking. Then she opened a
pocketbook that she took from under
the pillow and held it up for me to look
ut. l reached for it. but she drew it
away. The amount of arsenic in each
tablet was fifty times what | had Or
dered. ! saw through the game at
once. The amount had been raised. |
had fallen into a blackmail trap. The
charge, even though false, would great
ly injure me.
How much do you expect for your
sufferings and the prescription" l
asked.
The wOman's expression changed at
once. There was Il deyllish cunning
in it.
"a hundred dollars" she said.
l felt that it might be wise to pay
the money, but 1 have natural dis
like to being tieeced. l sat looking at
| the woman, thinking of some way to
| thwart her.
Il suppose" l said presently, Il
ought To indemnify you for my mis-
| take, especially as l have caused you
to suffer. But If 1 don't it will require
q long time for you to collect by law"
| But your reputation"
"The damage to that l may outlive
but you will not live long enough tC
get the damages
What do you mean?" anXiously.
You are suffering from a disease
that will soon kill YOU"
81 suffering from a disease! What
disease?" she asked, turning white as
sheet.
Something that few practitioner:
would recognize. 1t is my speciality"
For heavens sake, what it isl"
"a necrosis of the pericardium."
ooh, doctor!'
at won't kill you Immediately"
"How do you know I've got it?'
by the color of the cuticle. That!
where the disease first shows itself
Only practiced eye can see it. YOU
will soon feel phthisis in the cerebel
lum, them
But can't you stop it?'
81 could stop 1t, but the world is bet
ter without such people as you. Thel
you will experience hernia, aneurisn
and other troubles in the
"Never mind those things. doctor;
don't understand them. Do give M
something TO help me-"
| She was now sufficiently frightenet
for me to deal with her concerning tn
prescription.
Il think I'd better let you alone. IO'
might after all, get your damages j
you can find lawyer who will pus
the case for you"
"Oh. doctor, you're cruel. I'll do an
thing You wish. Here's your prescril
ton. Take it."
took it and examined it closely.
You could never collect a cent o.
this" l said. The place where 70
took out the ink with acid and wrOt
the amount you wished can be detecte
by ony one expert in such matter:
You would go to Jail"
But I don't want to collect on l
oh, doctor, save me.'
l folded the prescription and put
in my pocket. l was now getting angr
and considered the question of punisl
ing the woman for her offense by keel
ing her in misery. l would have r.
assured her at once. but thought it hes
not to give her any advantage in know
ing that had tricked her by a jumbl
,, Of meaningless medical terms.
:. what assurance have ] that yo
will not play your game on some or
elsef" asked.
= "Never-on n DOCTOR
You are right. We doctors can loo
right through you and discover al
break in the system that will carry "
Off. l will forgive you this time. l.,
see that you don't practice your dew
try again.
| always keep case of bread Pill
| in my satphpl for mmediota ,lSa ar