The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-07-16
Strange Case
Of x

This is q story tod b. a physician
living Ia 8 large western city o. 8
+ problem that suddenly confronted him
and o. h0w he Interpreted the
\ ethics of Bis profession ard aciad on
III
Il was foussd one nis,f.7 be said.
@by a telephone call. Aa unfamiliar
4 voice asked ne Il could attend
I man Who had been injured I am
sNered that ! could Il the case was
urgent. hut before I could ask Eho was
( calling. The speaker answered: An
f right, doctor. I'll call at yoar house IN
ten minutes with a carriage.
Almost before had time to dress.
Z the doorheI rang I unlocked tile
door. and ! man. wearing . long ul-
sier. dark hat and pair oi eoloFed
/ glasses. entered
Z 'Doctor. he SAID. before we start
( ! want To make a request This case,
\ "a 7 told yoa. "a Urgent Bas before
Z we start, must have your assurance
that yoa VII treat this visit as con-
hdenual mission. can't say any
more. except 70 add that you're gun
I ming no risk Of any kind in helping
nee. And you can name your own
fee.
"There ,Eas nothing about the mans
appearance thA appeared suspicious.
+ he vas quiet and self-possessed--
there 8aAnt a trace Of Nervousness
abo1t him and he was well dressed
I The request vas somewhat unusual,
but. after all. nearly everything that
We learn professionally is held IN the
sirictest confidence without any def
mite understandings 70 that effect. 50
thought there vas no reason for re-
fusing 70 make the agreement
4 4 took nv hat and We started The
carriage, / noticed, was closed ons.
We got II. the man turned on small
electric light and then drew the blinds
over the windows.
Doctor, be said, I'm going 10 ask
you to take this trip without knowing
where you're going TIL assure you it's
ali right. want you to blindfold
yourself before we leave the carriage,
until We get inside the house
We'll, ! didn't like the looks Of this,
but was in and I didn't Ike to back
out. Oh course / wasn't at all afraid
for my own safety by the time the
carriage stopped ] didn't have the least
idea what part Of town We we're In
We had made SO many turns put on
the blindfold. as my visitor requested
and We Wentup some steps and into {
house
"Upstairs, found my patient. III
had been shot twice. Revolver bullets
they we're. The wounds weren't dan
gerous, but they were painful because
! they had not been treated earlier.
4 DRESSED them, told the womai
who was there what sort of care thl
patient ought TO hays. and then toll
them that I'd have to see the man a
least two or three times more beior
!, / could answer for his safe recovery.
'gThe man with the dark glasse
quietly assented TO this, but insiste
that he should bring me at night, a
4 be had that time. agreed.
The next morning the papers tol
Of robbery, In which a householde
had been wounded, after shooting on
OF the burglars, who succeeded In el
y Gaping. All The facts indicated tia
It my patient Of the night before wa
8 the burglar who had been shot. fe
J, sure could locate the house. Th
householder recovered quickly.
The question stared at me. Did th
ethica Of the medical profession allo
: me to go TO the police and tell thel
what knew. OF did ny promise bin
= ne TO secrecy? / thought L over e
al day and finally decided tlat had Z
ID right to say anything about the ma
o. ter. / nj ie three more trips in Il
same manner and finally decided thi
the man would get along without al
~ more calls All this time I watchs
or the papers, but no trace was found
Of the burglars. When | made my la
70 visit | told the man who had fF
called on me that my fee would
s25. He took from d large roll "
500 bills and handed them to n
=, without word. lie drove me hon
% and that was the last I ever saw
ae either Of them.
~ ''That was a good many years az
but I've often wondered whether I d
!. right IN not violating that mans CO
!. hdence."
g 4 don't think you did, said a mel
~ Der Of the group. The medical pl
fesaion has no right to shield Q erin
nal Women and children should
Il, given the greatest protection We c
give them-the same as on yesi
at sea-bnt no word given Grimm
an. Is binding
for ''But suppose It had turned out h
~ the man was not the burglar in qu
ton. believe be vas. but Il mig
have been Otherwise
ees "Thats true said a third 1T v
ia. an right TO keep your promise SO 10
ect as you had no actual knowledge u
the man was a criminal. Where y
- made your mistake WAS IN maxi