Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-05
DAILY STORY
THE HEART OR THE LIVER?

lOriginaLJ
a young girl in Il 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 me without doing me any good,
and now you are going abroad.
suppose new physician viii have tc
study my case all over again"
81 can write out statement of the
symptoms"
please do so"
The doctor wrote:
The patients symptoms are similar to
those resulting from nostalgia (homesick-
nessl religious rnpnomania or deep seated
grief. She is troubled with melancholy,
supplemented in rare instances by spas
mode bursts of happiness All the orgaEG
appear to be in Il normal condition,
though II Is a medical fact that an organ
may he diseased and not show the dis
ease in Itself. The symptoms in this case
are those of n diseased liver. / have eX-
amined this organ, bat found no especial
indications. II would not be professional
in me to suggest treatment to my sue
ceSSOr. r. NJ. G l&NEN, NJ. D.
DR.. Tinllham succeeded DR.. Quincy,
and at his first call the patient handed
him his predecessors statement Dr.
Tinkham took out his glasses. wiped
them on a fine cambria handkerchief,
read the paper carefully and sat with
it in his hand mIsingIy. Then he fold
ed it, slipped it in his pocketbook and
wrote Il prescription. When n doctor
writes a prescription it is evident that
something is being done. DR.. Tink-
hams prescription was aqua pura,
with something in it To make it taste
pleasant. 1t was to satisfy the patient
and her family til! lie found time to
study the matter.
The monthly meeting of the Medical
society occurred few evenings later.
and DR. Tinkham stated the case to
the assembled members, reading to
them DR.. Gurney's catalogue of symp-
toms.
DIR. Spinney suggested that the pa
tent might be drifting into melancho-
liza and recommended that she be care
fully watched lest she DO herself in
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 sew
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.
DR.. Cords suggested that the trouble
| lay I'm the heart.
| DR.. Tinkham was disappointed In
not getting n unanimous opinion from
| his associates and determined to de-
vote himself to studying the case and
discovering the cause If possible. The
next day he visited the patient. He
| found her in one of the conditions
mentioned by DIR. Quincy. She was in
| a high state of eXhilaration. The pulse
was strong the temperature normal,
and but for the eXhilaration the pa
/ tent seemed much improved. Having
asked If anything had excited her, the
doctor was informed that nothing un
usual had occurred. She had had sev'
eral visitors, but none who was moi
used to seeing her often. The doctor
prescribed sedative and went away
more puzzled than ever. subsequently
he took several of his colleagues, spe
cialists. to see the patient. Each pro
! nounced the disease a result of trouble
in the organs of which he had made
study. DR.. Tinkham gave their views
to the father of the young lady, giving
his own opinion that DR.. Thane
Brooks, liver specialist should bt
! called in for consultation. DR.. Thane