The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-19
APALATABLE
DOSE
b RICHARD MARLEY

anal address to our class when we
were graduated that had greatly i'm
pressed M. It was this:
Remember that mind has a great
erect over matter. Therefore try to
1etract 20 far as possible from the
terror your patients naturally have
OF you - practitioners. Above all
things, preserve a cheerful exterior.
The more hopeless a case appears to
.you the more hopeful appear to be,
for By giving way to your anticipa-
lions you lessen the patients chances
for recovery, and you may be wrong
in your prognosis. Do not force pa
tients to take your remedies If it can
possibly be avoided. Rather persuade
them or banter them. Remedies taken
against patients will are apt not to
act a. remedies. Better prescription
OF something to divert the attention
from the disease than fix it on that
disease BY unwelcome doses"
1t seemed to me that there was
lot of common sense in this advice,
and l cut it out of the printed ad-
dress and pasted it within my writing
desk in order that whenever l opened
the desk saw the injunction staring
me in the face, so that it was impos-
sible for me to forget it, l truly be-
lieve would have built up large
practice BY observing it had not that
very observation of it on one occasion
led to my leaving the profession.
had been practicing but a short
time when, returning to my office one
day, found a note from a stranger
stating that a member of his family
needed treatment, but was much
averse to receiving visit from ply
stefan or taking remedies. He suggest
led that I call without the patients
knowing that I was a physician and
study the case without asking for
,syaptozns. t..as
j. yhiA owing to the rule l had laid
down, was very easy for me- / went
to the house, rang the bell and was
i was received by very thin woman
Who did not appear to know my err
rand. 70 ! told her of the note that
had bee7f ii,,tft at my Office. She seemed
TO be slow Iii understanding meat
any rate. for some feas~rn. did not re-
spond very freely, making Msu. re.
marks such as "Just So" "a doctorr>
I'll see" indicating that she had not
been admitted to the confidence of the
person who had asked me to call.
The lady went out of the room and
presently returning, asked me to walk
1psssstrs: did 50 and was ushered
into I boudoir where sat girl who
but for slight paleness did not APP
pear In bad health. She was not even
In dishabille; but, the older woman
having left me with her, it was evil
dent that she was the patient. l went
in armed with my cheeriest smile, took
the girls hand as matter Of civility,
thereby getting her pulse-it beat
tribe more quickly than normal-s sat
by her, said something to make her
laugh and saw that her tongue was
Glightly coated. In this fashion l rat
tied on, telling her stories and interest
ing her until / had secured her conf
dence and predisposition in my favor.
Then said abruptly:
"But you're not looking very well
today"
Then she told me that her back was
troubling her and she slept badly and
mentioned symptoms that indicated to
me q condition very common and for
which there were a number Of simple
remedies. When l went away told
her that / would send her a box Of
-candied fruit, few Of which thought
she would like every day. Then ! left
her to have some medicine / intended
Tor her divided among half dozen
real candied fruits and sent them to
her with my compliments.
called again soon and asked the
lady who had received me how she
had managed to impose upon the
young lady that | was not a doctor;
that 1t was important that l should
know what story she had told in order
that what | should say would tally
with It, She told me not to worry
about that-she had given good rea-
/ con for my calls. | asked her If was
to see the person who had left word
at my Office for me to treat the young
\ lady, and she said he was away and
would be away for several weeks.
BY the time he returned l had made
love to my patient and she had re-
sponded favorably. Indeed, she sent
me to him-a mere form, she saddle
being her uncle, to ask for her hand.
J did SO. announcing myself as the
physician be had asked to treat a
member Of his family.
well" he asked. did you pull the
wool over the old girls eyes?"
didn't understand what he meant
BY the odd girl, but / replied that l
had succeeded admirably. went on.
but when | said something about the
young lady he interrupted me.
"Young lady be hanged! She's fifty
nve."
1t came out that the elderly woman
was my intended patient | had given