Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-04-03
"WAY FOR THE DOCTORw

The physician and the nurse are safe
in the slums. Their professions are
their passports. Many Il doctor, says
the New York Evening Post, read with
wonder a recent newspaper article de
scribing an attack by East Side thugs"
upon a young doctor. Il don't believe
that story" was the comment. Sure
enough, it proved to be untrue.
Il am glad 1 was right remarked
one physician, who had expressed his
opinion in regard to the tale. 'After
years of experience, 1 can tell you there
isn't quarter into which a doctor need
hesitate to go. No matter whether the
citizens are natives or foreigners, the
doctors little satchel makes them
friends at the first glimpse. On some
rare occasion under the influence Of
drink may put on a hostile front; then
the whole neighborhood rushes in for
our protection.
Il recall one incident Of my service
as a hospital inferno as a proof of this
last statement. A young woman was
desperately i'll. Her family consisted
of a husband, a quartet of brothers
and several other relatives, all in a
state Of temporary insanity from
liquor. Their excitement had spread
through the tenement, and | found the
halls crowded. Way for me, however,
was quickly made, as a whisper OF the
doctor went round; the great, ugly
looking fellows stepped aside for me
respectfully and quietly. Yet 1 was
only a kid, half scared to death, with
my diploma not a year old.
I'm the sick-room the relatives show
ed signs Of distrust. The patient was
in such straits that l decided to adj
minister an opiate, but the moment
got out my hypodermic needle one Of
the brothers sprang at me. He seized
my arm and sent my needle flying.
Then the husband and another brother
jumped at me, cursing in Italian.
ut looked bad for me. Fortunately
the door into the hall was open, and
two men from the outside ran in
two foreigners, who were regular des-
peradoes, as I afterward learned-and
put up a fight to protect me. They
whipped my assailants soundly, and
threw them out of the room, and then
stood guard while l administered the
morphine.
"Once, as I walked through Cherry
street at night, my greatcOat half con-
inc hoo fxx-n cf0
of a dark doorway and seized me. One
was about to give me blow, when l
stammered:
"'I'm the doctOr!'
They released me instantly. By way
Of evidence l produced my bag. The
fellow who had tried to hit me said:
"'Beg yer pardon, boss. Didn't know
who you was and that was the end
Of it,
Perhaps the most remarkable case
Of immunity was that of a young in
terne who responded to a riot call,
which involved the invasion Of saloon
in which two rival gangs were engaged
in a fatal battle. Bullets were flying
and knives flashing. Two men lay dead
and three were wounded. The doctor
entered with the officers, against whom
the fighters aimed their weapons.
Not a blow was aimed at the doctor.
AS he walked toward the nearest
wounded man big chap stepped aside
to let him pass, lowering his revolver
for the moment, only to raise It again
and fire at a policeman behind the
physician. Then the whole crowd, of
ficers and thugs" moved to the other
side of the room to resume the fight,
as if tacitly agreeing to leave the doc
tor undisturbed in his work While
he attended to his duties they continued
battle until the roughs were dubbed
into submission or chased into the
street