DOCTOR BOLUS
AND HIS PATIENTS.
ld Doctor Bolus was an old fashioned Doctor, and every morning startedout with his cane, to visit his patients, sometimes taking with him hisstudent, a man who had taken to studying medicine at thirty yearsold, inthe hope of being the successor of Doctor Bolus.
We will follow the Doctor’s rounds for one morning. First he called at theSquire’s, whose father was sick. The Doctor examined his tongue, felt hispulse, and mixed a white powder and a gray powder, giving directions forhim to take a little every two hours. Then, after talkingover the stateof the crops with the Squire, he went on to his next patient, old blackJohn, the colored man. John was very poor, but a good Quaker had relievedhis wants and the Doctor gave him a dose of calomel, telling him he wouldsoon be at work again.
The Doctor’s next call was to see little Kitty Green, the merchant’sdaughter; Kitty had meddled with a sharp knife, and cut her finger prettyseverely; if she had been a poor man’s daughter it would have got wellwithout the doctor, but rich people can afford to call the doctor forlittle things, so Doctor Bolus applied some salve to Kitty’s finger, andshe was soon playing again.
The next patient was Mrs. Droley, who always imagined she was sick, andhad been one of the Doctor’sregular patients for several years; and if afew days passed without his calling on her, he was sure to be sent for.Mrs. Droley kept her room and her bed much of the time, thinking she hadonly strength to feed her cat. The doctor could not do her much good, butgave her a little harmless medicine.
The last call the Doctor made before his dinner, was at Mrs. Smith’s.Shehad been sick for a long time, and a few months before this her husbandhad been drawn in