Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-17

uledfcaI student was TO me W0nueE ol
medical knowledge and skill.
Doctor | said to the great prac-
titioner. what especial talent gave
you your present position at the thead
OF your profession? Was it IN ability
to diagnose cases. a knack for handling
cases o. knowledge Of the nature OF
aisease.'
The doctor looked out OF a window
with a comical expression on his face.
Come. tell me. i know It was not
luck"
Not exactly"
.Weli:"
sit was principally stupidity /
Nonsense"
There's always turning point In
every mans career. practiced for ten
years before that turning point came.
Before that was driven from place to
place by losing some patient whose
case / couldn't make out or perhaps
laundering. In the last town I left
from such n cause had got fairly well
started. Then a small boy was brought
to me with broken arm. / treated
him for sprained wrist for tlrcee
weeks, when his mother discovered the
break. That ruined me for that place
At any rate left
81 came from there here, and sfor
several years was In a chronic state
Of starvation. One evening l didn't
feel very well and thought ! would
take dose fixed for myself BY mis-
take got hold Of the wrong bottle aud
took big dose of laudanum. I didh't
know Of 1t till / had got the stuff
down, and even then wasn't sure.
was wondering what I'd better do
when carriage was driven up to my
door by coachman In livery. A hand
somely dressed young lady jumped out.
hurried up the steps and pulled the
bell violently. I ran down stairs, aud
she gasped:
/. You doctor? Come quick. Father
Is dying
81 ran back for my bag Of medicines,
then got into the carriage with the
young lady and was driven. to her
home. was beginning to grow stupid.
or would have asked the girl for the
patients symptoms. All the thinking /
did was about myself. for suspected
that had swallowed poison. As soon
as l got to the house asked for a
pitcher Of water. drank tumblerfHl
to dilute the stuff in my stomach and
went upstairs to the patient. He was
In great agony and was holding on to
his stomach with both hands. con-
cluded his trouble was acute dyspep-
STA and, opening my bag, ! attempted
to get hold Of a remedy for that trou-
BILE.
II was by this time so far gone with
my own trouble that was unable ITO
get the bottle I used back into Its plrse
in my satchel. so I dropped it on the
bottom. was sufficiently conscious to
know that must keep moving and
drink water. So called for It, intk-
mating that / wanted it for the pa
dent. and when it came for every glass
drank myself gave him one.
He stopped groaning and, closing
his eyes. was going to sleep when it
occurred to me that something might
have gone wrong. Instinctiyely dived
down into my satchel and pulled out
the bottle that had contained the dose
had given him, Great heavens! 1t
was labeled laudanum.
Without explaining to those in the
room, got the patient out Of bed-he
was in his shirt-and began to walk
him back and forth. Every few min
utes would stop at the water pitcher
and pour some water down his throat
Meanwhile was gradually recovering
from the effects Of my own dose and
getting back my wits.
'sThe family, seeing the two Of Us
staggering to and fro in the sick cham
ber.. were nonplussed. They kept firing
questions at me, to which paid no
attention. This frightened them all the
more, and they made such an ado that
/ ordered them all out Of the room.
81 walked the patient till I could see
that be had recovered from the effects
Of the poison, then told the family to
keep him awake for another two hours
and left him. / went home, took
drug that knew would brace me and
later went back to see how my patient
was getting on. l found him sitting up
and looking fairly well.
What was the trouble, doctor?
asked his wife.
1T was the I was trying to think
Of some ailment with q name that
would puzzle them and not commit me
when the patient forestalled me.
I know what it was, he said. st
was the lobster
But why did you walk him back
and forthg asked the lady.
why, you see I replied, the lob
ster was decayed and poisoned him. /
was obliged to give him powerful an
tidote, which deadened the pain; but,
being narcotic as well as a dangerous
one at that. had let him go to sleep he
would have died.
isn't IL wonderful nycIafund fhp