The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-08-14
A Professional
Episode
By DONALD CHAMBERLlN

was being louSul NtIH P''H' -"
,ame into my consulting room-l am
an oculiSt-with Il very sad face ana
SURPRISED me 10y asking me to tax"
out one of her eyes. My first suppose
ton was that it had been injured ana
she dreaded that it would affect the
sirht of the other one. but upon study
ing her face for il time | saw 'hdlca
tiouS of an unbalanced mind. 80
simply asked her for her reasons.
Il am engaged to Il soldier boy now
in Cuba" she said. and he has writ
ten me that Il Spanish bullet took "ut
one of his eyes. He says that he VIII
never permit me to sacrifice myself
for him. If have the same dlshS
ureucnt he can't talk so.
II seemed likely that the girl had
broodrd over her lovers misfortune
and the danger Of losing him Till her
mind had become affected. But dld
not believe that her trouble was per
manent tried to persuade her 10 Il"
something To divert her mind from her
ity of reasoning with one suffering
from mental depression and fearing
that she might do herself bodily in
Jury. said to her:
Every well. II 10y this day week
YOU still feel as you do come here al
3 o'clock in the afternoon ana | VIII
perform the operation.
| was So busy during the next week
that | never once thought OF the GlrI
till Oh the afternoon | had appointed
she came in promptly AT the hour
named II seemed 10 me that tn"
shortest the easiest and the safest
way to get rid of her would be TO pre-
tend To do what she asked. So told
her that if | took out her eye she
would have Ia wear bandagc over II
till the wound healed. otherwise she
would lose the sight Of her other eye
and become totally blind. | would not
/ operate without her promise not To re
move the handage herself or permit
| any one else except me To do so. She
gave the required promise.
| made the same preparations as If
| were about To perform Il real opera
| ton. putting on my rubber apron
/ making myself look like a butcher
| then called in an assistant, 10 whom
! had explained what ! proposed 10 do.
! and. placing the girl in an operating
| chair. directed my assistant to apply
| an anacSthetic. As soon as the pa
! tent had lost consciousness placed q
! pad over the eye in question and held
| il in position 10y means of bandaScS
! To complete the deception | showed
her an eye in spirits. She wished to
! pay me for the operation. but ! told
her. that being uuprofesSional, | would
not take pay Moreover. | warned hel
to tell no one what | had done. for il
she did would probably be eliminat
ed from my profession. She promised
TO cOnfide only in me and went away.
The girl WAS To come To see me a
my request once Il week since wish
ed 10 keep track of her and, if she
recovered her mental balance. confess
to her tina. | had not taken out hcl
eve. She came once, and ! saw thai
her condition was very much i'm
proved. Then for three weeks ! saw
nothing Of her. One morning younI
man with Il green patch over one eye
came into my office, and ! saw by hi:
lowering brow that he had come t.
give me Il piece Of his mind, if nothin.
more.
What did you mean" he roared
by taking a good eye out of wo
mans head
| suspected. of course. that he wa
the returned soldier boy lover of thu
girl | had pretended TO operate on, bu
contented myself for the present b.
asking him what he meant. whereupol
he told me that. having returned from
the war in Cuba his betrothed hat
told him that she had persuaded M
TO make things equal between then
by having one eye removed. IAN
now" he said. I've come home with
out losing my eye after all, though
will never he as good as the other one
The doctors told me they would hav
to take it cut to save the other one
but they didn't; they saved ii. In
going to begin suit against you 70
malpractice at once"
What did the surgeons tell you the
would have to take out your eye 70
when they didn't do it. that you nigh
not be disappointed? How do yO'
know but that the girl who loves yO
has come out better than she ex
pected?'
What do you mean?"
as her mind affected?" | asked.
Certainly not"
I was pleased TO hear this an
straightway told the young man tina
her mind had been affected and that
had possibly saved her from ruinin
her eye by pretending to take it out
He seized my hand joyfully and. no
contented with this. threw both hi
arms about my neck.
where is my patient?' asked.
I'm the antcrOOm."
Bring her in here. and | will Civ
her surprise. Don't disabuse hel
Leave it to me-"
He went ont and brought in the cir
! saw at once that she had recOvere
her mental balance and she looked q
me reprOachfully. | sat her down b,
fore mirror and proceeded leisurel
to take off the bandage. then remove