Old Doctor Bolus was an old fashioned Doctor, and every morning started
out with his cane, to visit his patients, sometimes taking with him his
student, a man who had taken to studying medicine at thirty years old, in
the hope of being the successor of Doctor Bolus.
[Illustration]
We will follow the Doctor's rounds for one morning. First he called at the
Squire's, whose father was sick. The Doctor examined his tongue, felt his
pulse, and mixed a white powder and a gray powder, giving directions for
him to take a little every two hours. Then, after talking over the state
of the crops with the Squire, he went on to his next patient, old black
John, the colored man. John was very poor, but a good Quaker had relieved
his wants and the Doctor gave him a dose of calomel, telling him he would
soon be at work again.
[Illustration]
The Doctor's next call was to see little Kitty Green, the merchant's
daughter; Kitty had meddled with a sharp knife, and cut her finger pretty
severely; if she had been a poor man's daughter it would have got well
without the doctor, but rich people can afford to call the doctor for
little things, so Doctor Bolus applied some salve to Kitty's finger, and
she was soon playing again.
[Illustration]
The next patient was Mrs. Droley, who always imagined she was sick, and
had been one of the Doctor's regular patients for several years; and if a
few 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 had
only strength to feed her cat. The doctor could not do her much good, but
gave her a little harmless medicine.
[Illustration]
The last call the Doctor made before his dinner, was at Mrs. Smith's. She
had been sick for a long time, and a few months before this her husband
had been drawn in to commit a robbery, for which he was sentenced to
imprisonment for life. She was rapidly failing, and would soon die. She
had mourned only that she must leave her little daughter destitute, but
was now assured that a good home was provided for Mary by her friends; and
she felt that she could die happy.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]