Fort Pierce news., 1910-03-18
Some Old Fashioned Notions
That Still Obtain Credenoa.
THE CYCLE OF THREE IDEA.

Three physicians were standing ii
a downtown drug store the other day
when one, who had been looking a
an evening paper, exclaimed: "Grea
Caesar, here it is again! see 1t II
the papers at least twice MONTH"
What's that" asked one of the 9th
ers.
It's that popular fallacy about d
drowning man sinking for the third
time. Here 1t says. Just as he was
sinking for the third time he was savel
by the timely arrival etc. The next
time | see this third time business f.
probably will read, He sank for the
third time before aid could be had anc
was drowned.
why will people get that fool ide,
that sinking for the third time musl
needs be fatal to drowning man.
Why, bless you. | saw man sink Il
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 will
his drowning. He may sink but once
and he may go beneath the water any
number of times. 1t all depends upo1
the person who is drowning, his phys.
ical condition and how quickly the
lungs fill with water"
THAT cycle of three" suggested On
other of the doctors, "is carried along
by those who insist that u person dies
In his third suggestive chill. But thls
is not true. The same rule holds good
In congestive chills as in the case OF
the drowning man. A person may die
In the first or he may have dozer
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 If ye git
tn malary an il runs into typhoic
fever an it 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.
MS 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
and distinct trouble, and doctor with
any sense should be able to diagnose
his malady from symptoms which are
always present In each and entirely
different"
From popular fallacles In regard tc
medicine the conversation drifted t.
fallacies regarding the law. A lawyer
present was called upon to explain
first one thing and another, when one
Of the bystanders said:
Il made bet the other day that
person had no right to touch dead
body until the coroner arrived, and J
won"
''Who decided the question for your
asked the lawyer smilingly.
"Wellt" said the man sheepishly. III
was a bartender, but he's an educated
fellow and is good Judge of the law"
"You speak of the law as il 1t were
something to be judged like cattle at
a fat stock show" replied the attorney
"There is no law on any statute book
IN any state in the United States which
says one may not touch body before
the arrival Of the coroner.
'rIn 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, it 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 murder today.
If any mystery were con- /
nected with 1t. common sense would
teach a person to leave everything In
tact. not alone for the coroner but for
the police officials as well. But should |
the body of murdered man be moved |
there is no law covering It unless II
could be proved that the person who
the body did 1t with the inten-
tion to destroy evidence. In cases OF
suicide or death by accident there
could be no objection TO moving the
body anywhere in the city If done with
humane or some other proper motive
'I'n tell you what is tho law said
4 stoop shouldered, long armed man
who had been listening long enough
10 get the gist Of the discussion If
fellow sees murder through q pane
IF glass he can't be a witness in the
,ase.v
"Oh pifiew exclaimed the attorney
.Tm going to lunch, That's the limit
was waiting for some yap to spring
hat. If that was the case and a muir
Ter should be committed in this room
"a = <4o,,o,, ~ nc Could nof he COM /