Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-03-25
Much Love
By OSCAR COX
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

While serving with my regiment as
surgeon at Manila received letter
from my old friend Dick Thurston at
Batavia, Java, asking me if it would
be possible for me to come down and
see him. He was i'll, and despite the
fact that he was taking the best care
Of himself he didn't get any better.
Couldn't I obtain a leave even for a
few days?
l succeeded in getting leave, and
i found Dick Thurston on q coffee
plantation, where he had gone some
months before in the interest Of an
American grocery concern. He was
living with Javanese family, consist
ing Of mother, daughter some
twenty-five years old and several chill
dren. The young woman was attend
ing to the patients wants. Indeed, she
had the whole care Of him.
Dick was suffering from malignant
dysentery. put him under treatment,
but got no response. A couple of days
after began he was as bad as ever.
What puzzled me was that his trouble
was intermittent. At one time he
would appear so we'll that couldn't
believe there was anything the matter
with him. Then, when was congratu-
lating myself that he was going to
come out of it, down he would go
again. AS for the drugs gave him,
they appeared to have no effect what
ever
I hadn't been attending him long be-
fore l discovered that the Javanese
girl who nursed him was in love with
him. This set me to thinking. had
seen an extract somewhere-I think it
was in a newspaper-from an old
Dutch report stating that when a
Javanese woman takes fancy to an
European she will either have him or
poison him if she gets the chance.
Might not this be case in point?
Without saying anything to Dick l
resolved to watch her. She was very
regular in bringing i'll his meals, and
OH several occasions when she did so
I concealed myself in closet, keep
ing my eye to nail hole. But If she
was poisoning his food she didn't do it
when she gave it to him.
"Dick," l said to my patient, "your
nurse loves you.'
"You don't mean itw he exclaimed,
astonished.
"Have YOU been making love to
her?:"
Il have never thought of such a
thing"
"Have you any objection to doing
so?'
Dick dcmurred, but as told him
had theory connected with his ILL.,
ness he finally consented. The next
time she was with him he called her
to him, took her hand in his and told
her that her kindness was winning
his heart. She did not object to
caress and went away looking very
happy.
The next day Dick was better.
told him to keep up his lovemak
ing for a few days. and he did so,
with the result that his improvement
was remarkable. didn't care enough
for further experimenting to ask him
to cease his devotional attitude and
grow worse, so resolved to eat some
Of his food myself. But to get the
food that was sure was poisoned
was obliged to have him do this very
thing. He turned away from her, but
did not eat the next meal she brought
him. struggled in some food for
him, ate little of that the girl
brought him and made away with the
rest surreptitiously. The test fulfilled
the conditions. The whole length of
my alimentary canal became irritated.
This was the same symptom as Thurs
TONS. didn't care to repeat the ex-
pertinent.
There was now nothing to do but
get the patient from out the clutches
Of this too NTH loving nurse, but my
curiosity was aroused as to what poi
son she was using. thought of
watching her as she prepared the
food, but to do this was impracticable.
would have tested the food chemic-
ally, but had no materials for the pur
pose. was puzzled
had, among other instruments
had brought with me, pocket micro
scope. 1t was by no means so power
full as the regular instrument, but eX-
cellent for its grade. For the want of
something better one day took up
this microscope and brought it to bear
on some of the food | had eaten. I'm
mediately the cause Of the trouble
was revealed to me. The substance
was filled with fine hais-not animal.
but egetable-hollow tubes spiked
like bayonets.
And these things had been passing
through Dicks digestive organs. No
wonder that he was i'll. \ compare
lively few of them had made ME feel
as if had eaten hot lead.
l took some Of the food to Java
nese man from whom Dick had been
buying coffee. showed him the hairs
with the microscope and asked him
what they were.
"Those," he said. fare bamboo poi
son hairs, so called from the fact that
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