The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-03-07
VISITING THE
DOCTOR
BERTHA YOUNKIN

The door opened into the crowded
reception room.
"Next," called the doctor. The pers-
piration stood upon his forehead from
his exasperating work with the last two
children. The first had been brought
for simple vaccination and the sec
ond for tonsil examination, and 10th
had fought like young wildcats. Only
with extreme control had he resisted
telling the fiuttering mothers to re-
member that after all he was doctor,
not specialist in problem children.
A neat little woman led her five
year-old Nancy into the sparkling
white office. 81 am Mrs. John Carter
and this is Nancy" she told him pleas
antly, as the child gravely extended
her chubby hand.
GLOW do you do, Miss Nancy"
smiled DR.. Jones kindly.
"First, let's slip off this pretty dress" "
A look of bewilderment, then starry
terror, crept over the child's face. She
| shrank back against her mother.
"Why, Nancy, what is the matter %
y dShCu N1I -. Val CCI ouI PlloC. SCl
, ly there was nothing about the man
or his shining office to frighten any
one.
"Modesty?" questioned the doctor
hesitating.
"Why l don't understand! She
never has been self-conscious!
"Then come on, Miss Nancy, We'll
soon be through"
But they didn't even begin. The
child, dressed only in her silk panties
began to sob and tearfully object
They reasoned, cajoled, then threaten.
ed. Nancy refused to stand upon the
scales, and the harmless stethoscope
brought forth terrified walls.
DR.. Jones gritted his teeth. Mrs
Carter was flushed, distraught and too
unnerved herself to be able to think
She knew that to the doctor Name!
appeared to be just one more spoiled
child. She knew that somehow every
thing was terribly wrong. Embarrass
ed and apologetic, she left and hur
ried the sobbing child home to bed.
"It was dreadful" she wept, as sh'
told the story to John Carter that eve
ming. Cpl never get Nancy inside ;
doctors office again!"
"There, there" he soothed. "Wel
manage her somehow. | was afrai'
when you left that perhaps the chill
should have been better prepared"
"Why, what do you mean?"
Before you took Nancy to the den
7 tist, on her own account, you allowe
her to go when you needed work done
and you let her sit on your lap one
when your teeth were being examined
you will remember. The dentist look
ed at hers just for fun, and now sh
loves to go to him. In that case tn
situation was properly introduced, an
no fears developed.
"In this case, so much time ha
elapsed since Nancy was last examine
that she couldn't even remember eve
having been in a doctors office be
fore, and the whole thing was a myS
terry. She had not the faintest ide
why a stranger would want to tax
her clothes off She grew excited an
unable to reason when you both il
sisted. Don't you see how strangel
you folks were behaving from he
viewpoint ?"
John Carter was right. The al
proach to any entirely new eXperient
for a little child should be planne
thoughtfully. The boy or girl who hs
been properly prepared for a physic;
examination takes it as much IL
granted as eating and sleeping. 1t b.
comes a very normal and interestin
experience with one of his best friend
the family doctor.