The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-02-06
A Doctor S
Story
BY H. sANBoRN BROWN

q diagnosis or their cases, out Wnen 4
had been detected In a number OF
errors | found what reputation | had
gained as zone Of those frank, out
spoken doctors. with no pretense about
him." gone That had diagnosed
whoOping cough as a bad cold and
measles as eczema, with a number Of
other blunders, got abroad, my prac-
tlce dropped away, and / was obliged
to pull up stakes and begin over again
in another locality.
In my new field looked wise and
said nothing, or II / did soy anything
II was that the case had not suffi-
GENTLY developed TO admit Of dag
nosls. This would have done very
well had | stuck to II stolcally. Un-
fortunately. patients or those interest
ed In them need at times to be buoy
ed This fact got me into trouble
again. Called In to see little child
who showed plainly the symptoms Of
diphtheria, when looked into the
mothers eager, questioning eyes l had
not the heart to tell her Of her dar-
llng's danger, so | told her 1t was a
case Of sore throat.
All went well with the child, and
the diphtheritic membrane in the throat
was breaking down when the child's
grandmothercam to the house. The old
woman had seen case of diphtheria
and on looking into the throat saw
that which she recognized.
Heavens" she exclaimed to the
mother-"the child has diphtheriaT
The mother tainted. The grandmoth-
er ran to the telephone and Ignoring
me- called on one Of my fellow prac-
titloners to come In hot haste. He at
once pronounced the case one OF diph-
iberia. but, learning that was treating
1t. returned to his office and called me
up by telephone. | explained the mat
ter; but, realizing that had lost the
confidence Of the family in question,
begged him to take up the case where
| had left of and finish II. He did
so, and the child. who was already
nearly well, recovered.
That young mother soon knocked my
practice Into smithereens by telling
every ono Of her acquaintances that
didn't know case Of dlphtheria from
one OF sore throat.
Considering that my crime had really
been nothing more than a tenderness
of heart, this was hard to bear. Wo-
men are apt to accept statements with,
out question. and was tabooed with
out an opportunity for defense. The
husband Of the lady In question asked
me about the matter and when ex-
planned 1t tried to paclfy his wife.
But no such excuse would be accepted
by her ANY doctor not at to treat a
cat could get Off with such an excuse
as that" she said.
This time | made up my mind to
stand my ground. If fed from the
tongues of the lalty | 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 will
not deny his ability, For long while
! was dropped out of practice almost |
entirely. Rut gradually other doctors
got into the habit of calling me In for
anu pa
tients to me In cases coming within
my especial province. and at the end |
Of about Ave years | found myself |
again making a living, In ten years |
| stood at the head OF my profession |
in the city In which practiced.
But by this time my work as general
practitioner had given way to surgery
There We're but few recognized sur
geons In the place. and this was Of
great advantage to me.
One would suppose that woman
who had been indignant at my calling
case Of diphtheria one OF sore throat
and In consequence had ruined my
practice for several years would never
again have any use for my services
But the child upon whom l was sup
posed to have made such a blunder,
when twelve or thirteen years Of age,
contracted bad case Of appendicitis.
An operation was considered necessary
by the family physician, He was not
a surgeon and would not operate him,
self. When the mother asked him to
nominate surgeon for the case he
recommended me,
Meanwhile the tongues she had set
wagging to my dlscredit had gradually
got to swinging In my favor, The esti-
mate OF my cOworkers in the profess
sion, together with the testimony OF
patients ! had helped, had reached the
lady's ears, and. although she still be-
lleved that at the time 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 oper-
alton involving life or death upon her
son.
A physician as such should have no
accounts to settle with those who have
injured him. undertook the service
required OF me with no more feeling
than II had never known her or her
child, But her former error forced her
on the second occasion to hear the
ruth. When the operation had been
Derformed-and while performing 1t