The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-10-11

this that nerved me at the turning
point Of my life.
"Mr. Parkinson" l said, your hors,
is dying of digitalis."
l was obliged to choose a word 81
suddenly that 1 hit upon the name O.
drug and feared my man would know
that it was a drug and not disease.
'"Well?' he said somewhat more con
ddentially.
/ was tempted to make an excuse t,
go to the druggist, to get dose TO
the brute, but seeing the effect Of m,
first bluff resolved on another.
II don't like to leave him." said
would you mind getting me a mes
senger? @Iwish to send for a remedy
mot bit I'll call TOM. ue4a.-
know why he is not here. This Is hi
place, especially at such time"
He went to the house, few hundred
yards distant. He was absent som,
time. Not being able to find his mai
and while he was gone | upset peel
measure used for carrying oats, bu
now filled with salt Some Of the con
tents fell on the horses tongue, which
was protruding from his mouth.
noticed that the member quivered.
picked up little more salt from thu
floor and dropped it on the tongue
Slowly it was withdrawn into thu
horses mouth. Taking up a handful
opened the jaws and thrust it in.
stood there. or rather knelt, feed
ing the horse salt till Mr.. Parkinson
returned The other had disappeared
doubtless thinking he would be blamed
in the matter Of the loss of the horse
and the master was abusing hin
to me when he caught sight Of tn,
patient licking his chops with his eyes
open.
"Why, he seems to be better"
Certainly"
do you think you can pull hin
through"
81 think | can"
whats that you're giving him?"
"a saline remedy I've found bene
fetal in such cases.
He didn't ask where got it, or
medicine case
Well, it happened that my knocking
over the salt had given my patient just
what he needed. I don't know ever
now what his trouble was, but l DE-
know that animals must have salt. Al
any rate few handfuls of it effected
a change in his condition, and he i'm
proved rapidly. l followed up the
treatment by giving him water tt
drink. and it was not long before he
stood up on his feet.
"By Jovew exclaimed Mr.. Parkinson
THAT was the most marvellous cure
ever met with l must tell Swinbourne
about that What did you call the dis
ease?"
"Mr. Parkinson" said, assuming ar
injured tone, II have cured your horse
but 1 object to furnishing medical in
formation to one Of these old school
doctors. 1 beg you not to mention the
matter to Dr. Swinbourne."
"Why, it might lead him to take an
interest In you"
mot at all. You, as layman, are
not aware Of the jealousies existing in
our profession. Should you tell DR.
Swinbourne of this cure he would
doubtless assert that your horse would
have recovered just as well without
my treatment as with it."
shot a glance at him to see how the
thrust struck him, expecting that he
would deny that Swinbourne was any
such man. l was agreeably disap-
pointed.
You're right, my boy" he said
Never give away anything you've got
unless you've something to gain by 1t. u
Gentlemen, If you ask me what
gave me a start In a practice which
became for half century all I could
have desired reply blind luck, follow
ed up with dose of concentrated gall
Besides, the lesson I learned was OF
great benefit. 1 made it rule the less
knew about a case the more to pre-
tend. And why not? Does a doctor
gain anything by losing the confidence
Of patient? By no means. On the
that is the worst thing that can hap.
pen.
But to finish my story. Mr.. Parkin-
son let it be known that he would have
lost his valuable horse had it not been
for my skill. and l was installed as
physician to the family, to be called
upon for slight indispositions. DR..
Swinbourne being summoned to treat
troubles Of importance. This led to
some outside practice, and In time
assumed sufficient boldness to pay at
tention to Miss Parkinson. By this
time l had become known not as the
man who had cured horse, but one
who had cured human beings. finally
married Miss Parkinson. but this was
not till Swinbourne had retired and
was installed not only in his place. but
succeeded to the bulk Of his practice.
In fact he retired because he found
that I was forging ahead of him.
In claiming precedence in what we
know now to what we knew then am
sorry to say that in the majority Of
cases it is still guesswork with us. We
try a remedy and if the patient does
not respond we try another and anoth-
er, till either we have tried them all
or the patient succumbs or RECEIVERS.
But we have the satisfaction of know.
ing that both in America and Europe
men are engaged in devoting their en-
tire time to investigation, and every
year we know more than we knew the
year before
My wife never knew how accidental
was the success that gave me my start
till we had been married many years.