The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-01-28
POPULAR FALLAc|ES.
Some Old Fashioned Notions
That Still Obtain Credence.
THE CYCLE OF THREE IDEA.
n Drowning Man May Sink Not Only
Thrice, but Dozen Times, and Still
Be Heseued-Coneestive ChiIls and
the Merging Of Disesses-law Points.

Three physicians were standing in
a downtown drug store the other day
when one. who had been looking al
an evening paper, exclaimed: Great
Caesar. here il is again, see il in
the papers at least twice month"
whats that?' asked one of the 9th
ers.
Its that popular fallacy about a
drowning man sinking for the third
time Here II says, Just as he was
sinking for the third time be was saved
by the timely arrival etc. The next
time | see this third time business II
probably will read, He 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 10 a drowning man
Why bless you, saw a man sink a
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
q man sinks has nothing 10 do with
his drowning. He may sink but once,
and he may go 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. lis carried along
by those who insist that a 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 q dozen
and still live. The rule of three does
not obtain there either"
The first physician. with great dis
dam, then told how many ignorant
persons would swear that If We git
tn malary an it runs into typhoid
fever an II runs into newmony it's
shore death"
There's that same old rule Of three
again he continued almost ansrily.
First and foremost, one disease does
not run into another. There's no such
thing as q collision between diseases.
as many believe. II one has malaria
he has that and that alone. The same
thing is true of typhoid fever and
pneumonia. Each one is a separate
and distinct trouble, and q doctor with
any sense should be able 10 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. \ 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 Z
person had 10 right 20 touch a dead
body Until Tie coroner arrived, ard
won"
Who decided the question for youF~
asked the lawyer smiingly.
Well said tie man sheepisAly. 1t
was d bartender but he's an educated
fellow and is q good judge Of tie law"
You speak q the law rs il Il were
something TO be judged Ike cattle al
fat stock show" replied the attorney
There is 10 law on any statute book
in any state in the United States which
says one NAV Lot touch a body before
the arrival Of the coroner.
IN case Of murder the old English
common law used 70 require that the
body 4 the murdered one lie left just
as il lay until viewed by one in author
fly.
That was done, it can plainly be
seen, for the purpose If preserving tie
surroundings intact so that Whatever
evidence might be there would not be-
disturbed. ID case Il q murder today
especially + any mystery were con
nected with Fl. common sense would
teach a person 20 leave everything H.
tact not alone for the coroner. bur for
the police officials Us well Bu, should
the body Of O murdered man Doe moved
there f, TO law covering Il unless IL
could be proved that the person who
moved the body did 1t with the inten-
ton 10 destroy evidence. II cases Of
suicide or death hy accident there
could be 10 objection 10 moving the
BODY anywhere In the city Il done with
humane or some other proper motive"
I'm tell YOU what IS the law said
a stoop Shouldered, long armed man
who had been listening long enough
10 get the gist Of the discussion. If
fellow sees q murder through a pane
OF glass be can't be witness IN the
case"
"Oh. pifle"' exclaimed the attorney
'I'm going TO lunch. That's the limit
] was waiting for some zap to spring
that. If that was the case and muir
der should be committed il this room
half a dozen Of US could not be com
petent witnesses, If 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"
Il heard my grandfather say that,
insisted the long armed man, and be
know'd law too
YES" retorted the exasperated at
iorney. "and he no doubt gave il out
us law that a man could stand with his