The Adair County news., 1914-01-28
A Doctor S
Story
By H. SANBORN BROWN

When l began to practice medicine
l was inclined to give my patients
a diagnosis of their cases, but when I
had been detected in a number Of
errors | found what reputation I had
gained as zone of those frank, out
spoken doctors. with no pretense about
him." gone. That l had diagnosed
whOOping cough as a bad cold and
measles as eczema. with a number OF
other blunderS, got abroad. my praC-
tice dropped away. and | was obliged
to pull up stakes and begin over again
in another locality.
In my new field | looked wise anG
said nothing. or if i did say anything
1t was that the case had not suffi-
ciently developed TO admit of dag
nOsis. This would have done very
we'll had / stuck to it stOically. IN
fortunately. patients or those interest
ed il them need at times to be buoy
ed. This fact got NE into trouble
again. Called in to see a little child
who showed plainly the symptoms Of
diphtheria. when I looked into the
mothers eager, questioning eyes I had
not the heart to tell her of her dar-
ling'S danger. so I told her it was 9
case of sore throat.
All went well with the child. and
the diphtheritic membrane in the throat
was breaking down when the child's
Northumberland to the house. The OLE
ho1 % 1ivhAhoVsf1
and on looking into the throat saw
that which she recognized.
Heavens she exclaimed to the
mother-"the child has diphtheriar
The mother tainted. The grandmOtE-
er ran to the telephone and, ignoring
me, called on one of my fellow prac-
titiOners to come in hot haste. He az
once pronounced the case one of diph-
liberia, but. learning that l was treating
It, returned to his Office and called me
up by telephone. | explained the mat
ter; but, realizing that l had lost the
confidence Of the family in question, !
begged him to take up the case where
1 had left Off and finish it. He did
so. and the child. who was already
nearly well. recovered.
That young mother soon knocked my
practice into smithereens by telling
every one of her acquaintance that I
didn't know a case Of diphtheria frOE
one of sore throat
Considering that my crime had really
been nothing more than a tenderness
of heart. this was hard TO bear. WC-
men are apt to accept statements with
out question, and I was tabOOed with
out an opportunity for defense. The
husband of the lady in question asked
me about the matter and when I eX-
planned it tried to paclfy his wife
But no such excuse would be accepted
by her. ANY doctor not fit to treat Il
cat could get off with such an excuse,
as that" she said.
This time ! made up my mind to-
stand my ground. If | fled from the
tongues of the laity | would not be
worthy of a place in the profession
After all whatever success a physi
clan attains, his real intrinsic standing
is fixed by his fellow workers. They
may not agree with him, but they VIII
not deny his ability. For long while
l was dropped out Of practice almost
entirely. But gradually other doctors
got into the habit of calling me in fo--
consultation and recommending pa
tientS to me in cases coming within
my especial province. and at the end
of about five years ! found myself
again making living. In ten years
| stood at the head Of my profession
in the city in which | practiced.
But by this time my work as u generJ.
practitioner had given way to surgery
There wery but few recognized sur
geOns in the place. and this was O.
great advantage TO me-
One would suppose that woman
who had been indignant at my calling
a case of diphtheria one of sore throat
and in consequence had ruined my
practice for several years would nevcI
again have any use for my services
But the child upon whom | was sUp
posed to have made such a blunder,
when twelve or thirteen years of age
contracted Il bad case Of Appendicitis
All OltEGLlbii siS NOli-'ANAtlS " ~ =
by the family physician. He was nOT
a surgeon aud would not operate him
self. When the mother asked him t.
| nominate surgeon for the case he
recommended me.
Meanwhile the tongues she had ser
wagging to my diScredit had gradually
got to swinging in my favor. The esti-
mate of my coworkerS in the profes
/ sion. together with the testimony OF
patients had helped. had reached the
lady's ears. and. although she still be
! lieved that at the time I treated her
| child / didn't know a case Of diphthe-
ria from sore throat. affected by the
praise of me she heard. she greatly
desired that should perform an OperZ
alton involving life or death upon her
son.
A physician as such should have no
| accounts 10 settle with those who have
| Injured him. | undertook the service
required of me with no more feeling.
than If I had never known her or her
child. But her former error forced her
| on the second occasion to hear the