The Lambertville record., 1910-01-19
FALLAC|ES,
Some Old Fashioned Notions
That Still Catain Cre.anc,.
THE CYCLE CT THREE I0cA.

A Drowning Man Nay Sink Not Only
Thrice, but a Dozen Times. end Still
Be Rescued-conse stive ChiIIs and
the. Merging of Diseases-Law Points.
Three physicians We're standing in
Il downtown drug Stere the other day
when one. who hld been looking at
an evening paper. exclaimed: Great
Caesar. here II Is II ain. see II III
the papers At least Twice II month -
whats that asked one of the 9th
ers
Its that popular fallacy about Il
drowning man sinking for the third
time. Here Il says. Just as lie was
sinking for the third time he WIS saved
by the timely ARRIVAL. etc The next
time | see this third time business 1t
probably will read. lie saIk 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 10 drowning man?
y
half dozen times before he was res
cued alive. An une ie of nine. Wit
nesscs said never sank hut once. and
he WIS drowned The number of times
nun sinks has thing To do with
his drowning lie may sink but once.
aud he may 20 beneath the water any
number of times. II ali depends upon
the h,, l.. IrnWnip., IA Ia, ,bk.e,.
ical condition and how quickly the
lungs tli with water"
Tint cycle of three" suggested an
other of the doctors. lis carried along
by those who Insist that II erson dies
In his third suggestive hill Eut this
Is mol true. The same rule holds good
In congestive ehills as In the case of
the drowning man. \ person may die
In the first or lie may have II 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 We git
til malary an II runs into typhoid
fever an II runs into newmony IT'S
shore death"
There's tlat same old rule of three
again. he continued almost aDgrily.
First and foremost. one disease does
not run into another There's no such
thing as II collision between diseases.
us 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 Il separate
and distinct trouble and II doctor with
any sense should be able 10 diagnose
his malady from symptoms viii h are
always present In eaeh AMI entirely
'.'tss ST.
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:
Il made bet the other day that
person had no right to touch Il dead
body until the coroner arrived, and
won"
who decided the question fer youf"
asked the lawyer smilingly.
Well" said the man sheepishly. at
was bartender. but he's an educated
fellow and Is good judge of he law"
you speak Of the law as If II were
something to be judged like cattle at
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 II 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 he left Just
As It lay until viewed by one In author
ity.
THAT was done. II 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 n murder today
especially II aay mystery were con.
nected with II. common sense would
teach n person to leave everything In
tact. not alone fer the coroner bui fer
the police officials ~ we'll But should
the body Of a murdered man be moved
there IL no law covering II unless 1t
could be proved that the person who
moved the body id II with the intcn-
ti0n to destroy evidence, In eases 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'll 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 n pane
OF glass he cant be n witness In the
case."
"Oh. piff,ew exclaimed the attorney.
I'm going to lunch. That's the limit.
] was waiting for some yap to spring
that. II that was the case and mur-
der should be committed In this room
half a dozen OF us could not be com
petent witnesses. if your statement Is
true. becaus>. VIC are wearing glasses
Glass Is glass whether In window or
on the nose. There Is no such law az
that That's foolish"
Il heard my grandfather say that"
insisted the long armed man. and he
know'd law too"
"Yes." retorted the exasperated at
torney. "and ne no doubt :aye It out
as law that n man could stand with bis
back against his own house and kill
my one who came within n certain
distance Of him. But he would han2
for II unless he had mighty good de-
fenxe. All Of thoRe things nre what
We call chimney corner law. but they
won't hold in court,"-Knnsas City
Journal