Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-10
ADoctor' sStart
By uTHBERT BROWN

II =
medical student was to me wonder of
medlcIl knowledge and skill.
Doctor" said to the great prac-
titioner. what especial talent gave
you your present position at the head
OF your profession: Was it an ability
to diagnose cases. a knack for handling
cases or a knowledge of the nature of
iiiseaseg"
The doctor looked out Of window
with comical expression on his face.
Come. tell me- l know 1t was not
| luck
.Not exactly"
"Well?' .. .:........ g.. T..
"It was principally stupidity"
"Nonsense."
There's always a 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
iblundering. In the last town left
from such cause had got fairly well
started. Then small boy was brought
to me with broken arm. I treated
him for sprained wrist for three
weeks, when his mother discovered the
break That ruined me for that place.
At any rate left.
81 came from there here. and for
several years was in chronic state
of starvation. One evening L didn't
feel very we'll and thought / would
take dose fixed for myself. BY mis-
take got hold of the wrong bottle and
took big dose of laudanum / didn'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 a coachmanin livery. A hand
someIy dressed young lady jumped out
hurried up the steps and pulled the
bell violently. / ran down stairs, and
she gasped:
You a doctor? Come quick. Father
Is dying,
II 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 I
did was about myself. for suspected
that had swallowed poison. As soon
as got to, the house / asked for a
pitcher of water. drank a tumblerful
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. I con-
eluded his trouble was acute dyspep-
STA and, opening my bag. / attempted
to get hold OF a remedy for that treu-
Bile.
|, II was by this time so far gone with
my own trouble that was unable to
get the bottle used back into its place
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 1t. init
mating that /. wanted it for the pa
tent. and when 1t 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. Instinctively dived
down into my satchel and pulled out
the bottle that had contained the dose
had given him. Great heavens! It
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 I would stop at the water pitcher
land 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
Der, 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
I ordered them all out Of the room
!. Il walked the patient till could see
that he had recovered from the effects
of the poison, then told the family to
keep him awake for another two hours
and left him. I went home, took a
drug that knew would brace me and
later went back to see how my patient
was getting on. I found him sitting up
and looking fairly well.
What was the trouble, doctorr
asked his wife.
1t was the / was trying to think
Of some ailment with a name that
would puzzle them and not commit me
when the patient forestalled me.
+. Il know what it was he said IT
was the lobster
But why did you walk him back
and forth?' asked the lady.
; Why, you see,' replied, the lob
,ster was decayed and poisoned him.
was obliged to give him powerful an
tidote, which deadened the pain; but,
being a narcotic as well as dangerous
one at that, had let him go to sleep he
would have died. + -.-..-