The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-11-29
ny A STAR REPORTER

The doctor ~ a queer animal
IN toll tho strcp,ocoeci and all the
little coeci that he isl
For I've luht spent morning dash.
ing about the hlilu Of Seattle with a
doctor making his calls
Not toe nali and dandrun rp~.
rlaiiat but ono 81 those gray haired
general practitioners who sec you
into tho world and then see you out
with equal facility.
We set out ON "our" calls A
o'clock sharp. IN an Automobllc Of
rare and ancient vintage.
An doctors cars. II seems. ARE old
and very dirty and dlstingihshabie
AZ a great distance from ali other
cars.
Our first call was serious The par
cnts Of the little bog had been ,eie'
phoninx the doctors house since
dawn. They were sure the baby had
appendicitis They were frantic.
Is-an u Rescued
when ws iinaiiy arrived We fis
covered that the infant had stuck a
bean up his nortrii
a major operation was performed
with teothplck and tho household
returned 10 calm.
The beam cost the father jusi 81
another example o. food profi,.ering.
The next call was an top 81 Queen
Anne hiil--a pretty nitis bungaiow
with Virginia ereep~r ciimblnK
about the door and a green. well kept
lawn
There was a large piarard beside
the door and on s, Ia black letters
the word 'Dipbthrria
didn't go IN
The Doctor did.
Doctors are always In tho front
line trenches u disease and r..
eer~. sauaiid sick rooms have
their every day heroes that the
world never hears 81.
The doctor wcnf IN ! stayed IN
the machine. II was very quiet and
peaceful there on She tread plateau
of seaiile's ioftieat hill. suddenly
the air was rent with woman's
shrek. Then chill silence.
Family Heartbrokrn
when the doctor cams out he
looked old. tie was followed BY tail.
elderly man. with a haunted. haFRsrd
face. They conferred on the steps
minute. saw tho doctor shake his
hsAd
~ bad case" commented tho doc.
tor ne We drove away. cone 81 those
tragedies that almost every family
knows. The little boy has diphtherin
--hns difficulty In getting hts breath.
The girl has been dying for three
months parcsis, Suffering terribly
The family IL hcartbroken
which IL. perhaps one 81 the rca.
sons why few doctors can practice
medicine after they have reached
their G0th birthday.
That morning we drove from
Queen Anne hin 10 Mount Baker
park and from Ali Point In the
University district. We trod the
Persian rugs Of war millionaire
who was dcathIy afraid lac would
die before he had a chance 10
spend his millions. and we stunt
bled over the torn ilnoieum Of -
shaniy ON the tide flats where n
morphine addict cried and threat
ened and begged for a few grains
Of the forbidden drug.
And Rt the Providence hospital,
where l waited outside for the doc
tor 20 make his visits. n young man
approached the machine and talked
nervously about the League OF Ma
tons and the high cost OF living and
football the while he waited for the
tiny wall that would announce an.
other human beings entrance into
the world.
a Race Apart
when we drove back to the office
In the Cobb building. we picked up
three other doctors and took them
down with us. And | noticed. what
had never noticed before, that all
doctors talk alike. smell of the same
drugs. and indulge in the same
quaint. antique medical jeste
Like race apart. they gather on