Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-08-27
Professional
Episode
: BY DONALD CHAMBER IN


came into my consulting room-I am
nm oculist-with ii very sad face and
surprised me by asking me to take
out one of her eyes. My first supposi
ton was that it had been injured and
she dreaded that it would affect the
sight of the other one, but upon study
ing her face for time l saw indica-
tons of all unbalanced mind. So |
simply asked her for her reasons.
Il am engaged to soldier boy now
in Cuba" she said, land he has writ
ten me that a Spanish bullet took out
one of his eyes. He says that he will
never permit me to sacrifice myself
for him. If | have the same dlSfg-
urement he can't talk So
It seemed likely that the girl had
brooded over her lovers misfortune
and the danger of losing him till her
mind had become affected. But did
not believe that her trouble was per-
manent. tried to persuade her to do
something to divert her mind from her
trouble. but finally. realizing the fulfil
ity of reasoning with one suffering
from mental depression and fearing
/. that she might 90 Herself oouIiy Ill
jury, said to her:
.'Very we'll If by this day week
you still feel as you do come here at
o'clock in the afternoon and | will
perform the OPERATION
was so busy during the next week
that | never once thought Of the girl
till on the fternOnn | had appoint ed
she came III promptly at the hour
named It seemed t" nae that the
shortest. the easiest and the safest
way to get rid of her would be to pre-
t tend to do what she asked. SO | told
, her that if l tool: out her eye she
would have to wear a bandage over il
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-
e move the bandage herself or permit
[ any one else eXceI'y me to do so. She
: gave the required promise.
made the same preparations as if
h | were about to perform real opera
g ton. putting on my rubber apron
: making myself look like a butcher
then called in an assistant, to whom !
had explained what l proposed to do.
o and, placing the girl in an operating
q chair. directed my assistant to apply
l. All an:;es hptic AS soon rs the pa
tent had lost consciousness placed Il
pad over lie eye III question and hello
~ it in position by means of banda geS
- To complete the deception | showed
# her an eye in spirits. She wished to
pay me for the operation. but | told
her. that being unprofessional: would
+ not take pay Moreover. l warned hel
~ ~ to tell no one what | had done. for if
~, ~ 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.
d. my request once week since | wish
IL ed to keep track of her and if she
- recovered her mental balance. confess
g to her that | had not taken out bel
st eye She came once, and | saw thai
her condition was very much i'm
proved Then for three weeks | saw
In nothing of her One morning a young
~ man with a green patch over one eve
- came into my office and | saw by Iii:
lowering brow that he had come t.
i. give me piece of his mind. if nothing
i'd more.
lie What did you mean." he rOared
e. 'by taking a good eye out Of wo
ID mans head?"
&c | suspected, of course. that he was
~. the returned soldier boy lover of The
10 girl had pretended to operate on, bu
m contented myself for the present b!
err asking him what he meant. whereupol
he told me that. having returned from
. the war in Cuba. his betrOthed ha(
- told him that she had persuaded MI
ro to make things equal between then
he by having one eye removed. AN,
b, now he said. I've come home with
m out losing my eye after ALL though i
es will never be as good as the other one
- The doctors told me they would hav'
III to take it out to save the other one
az a.. but they didn't; they saved it. In
m going to begin suit against you TO
of malpractice 1t once"
lis What did the surgeons tell you the,
tie. would have to take out your eye TO
On when they didn't do it. that you Nigh
Ter not be disappointed? How do yo
lcli know but that the girl who loves 70
"a has come ont better than she ez
r pected?'
all "What do you mean?'
the rs her mind affected?' l asked.
it'll Certainly not"
was pleased to hear this an
straightway told the young man thu
her mind had been affected and that
We. had possibly saved her from ruinin
.en her eye by pretending to take it ou
He seized my hand joyfully and n,
contented with this. threw both b
on< arms about my neck.
Where is my patient?' l asked.
er, In the anteroom."
Bring her in here. and I will gi1
ent ner surprise. Oon oisapuse lie
lille lIeave it to me-.
He went out and brought in the gil