Catoctin clarion., 1910-02-03
POPULAR FALLAC|ES,
soEae 0ta Fashioned Notions
That Still Obtain Credance.
THE CYCLE OF THREE IDEA.

A Drowning Man May Sink Not Only
Thrice, bot Dozen Times. and sti'i
30 Rsseued-conscstive ChiIis anu
the Merging of Disesses--Law Points.
Three physicians were standing In
a downtown drug store the other day
when one. who had been looking ut
all evening paper. exclaimed: "Great
Caesar. here Il ~ again. see it in
The at,ers at least twice month"
What's that?" asked one OF the 9TH
ers.
ITS that popular fallacy about
drowning man shaking for the third
time. Here 1t says. Just as he was
sinking for the third time he was saved
by the timely arrival, etc. The next
time see this third time business it
probably will read, lie sank for the
third time before aid could be had and
was drowned
why will people get that fool idea
that sinking for the third time must
needs be fatal to drowning man?
Why. bless you. ! saw a man sink
half dozen times before he was res
cued alive. An uncle Of mine. wit
nesses said. never sank but once, and
he was drowned. The number Of times
a man sinks has nothing to do with
his drowning. He may sink but once,
and he may 60 beneath the water any
number Of times. 1t all depends upon
the person who Is drowning. his phys.
ical condition and how quickly the
lungs I'LL with water"
THAT cycle OF three" suggested an.
other of the doctors, "is carried along
by those who insist that IL person dies
In his third suggestive chill. But this
is not true. The same rule holds good
In congestive chills as In the case Of
the drowning man. person may die
In the first or he may have a dozen
and still live. The rule of three does
not obtain there either"
The first physician, with great dis
dain. then told how many ignorant
persons would swear that III ye git
tn malary an 1t runs into typhoid
fever an 1t runs into newmony it's
shore death"
There's that same old rule Of three
again." he continued almost angrily.
First and foremost. one disease does
not run into another. There's no such
thing as collision between diseases,
rs many believe. If one has malaria
he has that and that alone. The same
thing is true Of typhoid fever and
pneumonia. Each one Is separate
aud distinct trouble, and a doctor with
any sense should be able to diagnose
his malady from symptoms which are
always present In each and entirely
different"
From popular fallacies In regard to
medicine the conversation drifted to
fallacies regarding the law. A lawyer
present was called upon to explain
first one thing and another. when one
Of the bystanders said:
II made bet the other day that a
body until the coroner arrived, and l
Won"
"Who decided the question for your"
asked the lawyer smilingly.
"Well." said the man sheepishly. ut
was a bartender. but he's an educated
fellow and is a good Judge Of the law"
'You speak of the law as If it were
something to be judged like cattle at
a fat stock show" replied the attorney.
"There Is no law Oh any statute book
in any state In the United States which
says one may not touch body before
the arrival Of the coroner.
I'm case Of murder the old English
common law used to require that the
body of the murdered one be left just
AS it lay until viewed by one in author
ity.
THAT was done. 1t can plainly be
seen, for the purpose of preserving the
surroundings intact SO that whatever
evidence might be there would not be
disturbed. In case Of a murder today.
especially If any mystery were con-
nected with 1t. common sense would
teach person to leave everything In
tact, not alone for the coroner. but for
the police officials as we'll. But should
the body of murdered man be moved
there is no law covering 1t unless It
could be proved that the person who
moved the body did 1t with the inten-
ton to destroy evidence. In cases OF
suicide or death by accident there
could be no objection to moving the
body anywhere in the city II done with
humane or some other proper motive
"In tell you what is the law" said
a stoop shouldered. long armed man
who had been listening long enough
to get the gist Of the discussion. "lf
fellow sees a murder through pane
of glass he can't be a witness In the
case"
"Oh, piffiew exclaimed the attorney.
"I'm going to lunch. That's the limit.
l was waiting for some yap to spring
that. II that was the case and a MUIR
der should be committed In this room
half a dozen of us could not be COM
petent witnesses. IL your statement Is
true, because we are wearing glasses.
Glass is glass whether in window or
on the nose. There is no such law as
that. That's foolish"
81 heard my grandfather say that
insisted the long armed man. "and he
know'd law too"
"Yes." retorted the exasperated at
torney. ''and he no doubt gave 1t out
as law that man could stand with his
back against his own house and Kill
any one who came within certain
distance OF him. But he would hana
for 1t unless he had m'-hty good de-
fense. All OF those things nre what
we call chimney corner law. hut they
won't hold In court."-Kansas CITY
Journal.