The Washburn leader., 1916-06-30
A DOCTORS
STORY
Bv WILLARD BLAKEMAN

W06u i uE0t 0SS OP ny SAAAAso.S
physician / was told by the Older prac-
titioners to look out for traps set for
me by lawbreakers, for It is the inex-
perienced doctor who Is called upon to
aid them, they knowing very well that
an old bird is not to be caught with
chaff.
I had not been practicing long before
I was asked one day to call at GER
tain address. found stately man
sion standing by itself. was admit
ted by an elderly gentleman, whose
dress and appearance was In keeping
with the premises. He led me into .
reception room and said to me:
doctor, you have come some dis
tance and at the call of one unknown
to YOU. Under the circumstances
do not think it fair to you to ask you
to treat patient without handing you
your fee in advance, and that fee
should be liberal"
Stepping to little mahogany desk.
he wrote check and handed it to me.
It was for $50.
By this time it began to dawn upon
me that / had struck one Of those
cases against which had been warn
ed But took the check and put 1t In
nv pocket. It might get me into trou-
BILE, but It might be valuable as evil
dence. The gentleman led me upstairs
to room where man was holding
young woman down on lounge. She
was struggling to free herself from
him and was hysterical.
AS soon as she saw me she became
more so than ever. My conductor took
me aside and in a low voice told me
that she was insane and he was In
tending to take her to retreat for
such patients. She had been so vio-
lent that he feared she would injure
herself and desired that I give her
some soothing remedy.
I took small vial from my medi-
cine case, dropped some Of its con-
tents in glass of water and, ap-
preaching the young lady, told her to
drink it. She looked UP at me with
frightened glance and almost shrek
ed: Don't poison me! I'll do any
thing If you won't poison me"
Now, 1 am a believer in physical in
dications, and consider myself an
adept at Interpreting them. If see
two persons together whom don't
know and have never seen before can
tell If they are of the same blood. l
can also tell by persons eye whether
he or she is insane. looked into the
young lady's eye and saw no evidence
Of insanity whatever. Another matter
influenced me-the handsome fee had
received in advance.
Don't fear me-" said to her in a
reassuring voice. II am physician.
and this is simple soothing draft to
quiet your nerves." II
She looked ut me searchingly and
anxiously, evidently having felt conf
dent that had been brought In to
poison her. .- .-
II don't need anything to soothe me-"
she said, ''if they'll only let me Co.
They took me from my home and
brought me here in carriage. They
are going to shut me up for lunattc"
Drink It," said, holding the glass
to her lips. 1T won't hurt you and
will do you good"
told her with my eyes what had
spoken with my voice, and she took
the dose. 1t was really help to
her in restoring her equanimfty and
lessening the advantage her enemies
If they were such-had over her. Leav-
ing her, went to window and, tax
ing out prescription slip, wrote some
thing on It. Then, casting my eyes up
at the ceiling as II in thought, crum-
pied the paper in my fist and taxing
another slip wrote the prescription
for bread pills. which l handed to the
gentleman who had me in charge and
who never took his eyes of me for a
moment. Then went again to the
young lady and felt her pulse. ,5.a
"Good day." said, taking her hand
in mine. Don't fear to take the medi-
cine l have prescribed for you"
In the palm Of my hand was the pre-
scription slip 1 had crumpled, and 1
left it in her palm, she closing her
hand on 1t. What l had written was:
II understand the situation. Leave all
to me. Do what they compel you to
do without struggling" i
From her I turned to my conductor.
to whom said that he need not give
her the medicine prescribed unless she
became violent and If she became very
violent before he could remove her to
send for me. He seemed satisfied
with this and confident that I had
either been deceived or the fifty dollar
check had stided any suspicious I
might have.
left the house and, going to a store
near by, telephoned my chum, Charlie
Knowlton, who had gone into law
when went into medicine, to come to
me at once. For half an hour watch
ed the house had been in till Charlie
came. then told him the story, and in
half an hour more he had detectives on
the watch. Charlie rushed of to take
legal means to free the young lady and
succeeded, though never quite under
stood how he managed 1t. He told me,
using a lot Of Latin words-''de luna
dco inquirendo." ''habeas corpus" and
all that-but I knew nothing Of what
he meant.