The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-03-31
POPULAR PALACES,
Some Old Fashioned Notions
That Still Obtain Credence.
THE CYCLE OF THREE IDEA.

IHE CYCLE Of THREE IDEA.
4 Drowning Man May Sink Not Only
Thrice, but . Dozen Times, and Still
Be Rescued--consestivs chiiIs and
the Merging Of piseases--Law Points.
Three physicians were standing In
downtown drug store the other day
when one. who had been looking at
an evening paper. exclaimed: Great
Caesar. here II Is again. see II In
the papers at least twice month"
whats thatr asked one Of the 9TH
ers.
Its that popular falIacy about
drowning man sinking for the third
time. Here it says. Just as lie was
sinking for the third time he was saved
by the timely arrival etc. The next
time see this third tine business 1t
probably will read. He SAINT 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 mani
Why. bless you. saw a man sink q
half dozen times before he was res
cued alive. An uncle OF mine. wit
nesses said. never sank but once, and
be was drowned The number Of times
man sinks has nothing to do with
his drowning. He may sink but once,
and he mag go beneath the water any
number OF times. II all depends upon
the person who Is drowning. his phys
zeal condition and how quickly the
lungs dill with water"
THAT cycle OF three" suggested an
other OF the doctors. lis carried along
by those who insist that person dies
In his third suggestive chill. But this
Is not true. The same rule holds good
In congestiye chills as In the case Of
the drowning man. A person may die
In the first or he may have dozen
and still live. The rule OF three does
not obtain there either"
The Irst physician. with great dis
dain. then told how many Ignorant
persons would swear that IF We git
tn maiary an IL runs into typhoid
fever an II runs into newmony irG
shore death"
There's that same old rule Of three
again" be continued almost angrily.
First and foremost. one disease does
not run into another There's no such
thing as a collision between diseases.
as many believe. III 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 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
faliacies regarding the law. A lawyer
present was called upon TO explain
first one thing and another. when one
Of the bystanders said:
Il made a bef>the other day that a
person had no right to touch a dead
body until the coroner arrived, and 1
won"
who decided the question for your
asked the lawyer smilingly.
We'll" said the man sheeplshly. 1T
was bartender. but he's an educated
fellow and is a good Judge of the law"
.You speak Of the law rs if IL were
something 10 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 a body before
the arrival Of the coroner.
In case IF murder the old English
common law used to require that the
BODY OF the murdered one be left Just
rs II lay uni!l viewed by one In author.
fly.
THAT was done. u can plainly be
seen. for the purpose Of preserving the
Surroundings intact ~ that whatever
evidence might be there would not be
Disturbed. In case Of murder today.
especially II any mystery were con
nected with Il. common sense would
teach person 70 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 l. no law covering II unless IL
could be proved that the person who
moved the body did II with the Inteu.
don to destroy evidence. In cases Of
suicide or death 10y accident there
could be no objection TO moving the
body anywhere In the city If done with
humane or some other proper motive"
I'm tell you what Is the law" said
a stoop shuuidered, long armed man
who had been listening long enough
to get the gist OF the discussion. "lf a
fellow secs a murder through a pane
OF glass he can't be witness In the
case
"oh, pifIie.' exclaimed the attorney.
I'm going TO lunch. That's the limit.
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