the autobiography of a quack-第13部分

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　the　by；　doctor；　do　you　remember　the　test　we　applied　in　Carstairs's　case？　Just　tickle　the　soles　of　his　feet　and　see　if　it　will　cause　those　backward　spasms　of　the　head。''

The　aid　obeyed　him；　and；　very　naturally；　I　jerked　my　head　backward　as　hard　as　I　could。

‘‘That　will　answer；''　said　the　surgeon；　to　my　horror。　‘‘A　clever　rogue。　Send　him　to　the　guard…house。''

Happy　had　I　been　had　my　ill　luck　ended　here；　but　as　I　crossed　the　yard　an　officer　stopped　me。　To　my　disgust；　it　was　the　captain　of　my　old　Rhode　Island　company。

‘‘Hello！''　said　he；　‘‘keep　that　fellow　safe。　I　know　him。''

To　cut　short　a　long　story；　I　was　tried；　convicted；　and　forced　to　refund　the　Rhode　Island　bounty；　for　by　ill　luck　they　found　my　bank…　book　among　my　papers。　I　was　finally　sent　　to　Fort　Delaware　and　kept　at　hard　labor；　handling　and　carrying　shot；　policing　the　ground；　picking　up　cigar…stumps；　and　other　light；　unpleasant　occupations。

When　the　war　was　over　I　was　released。　I　went　at　once　to　Boston；　where　I　had　about　four　hundred　dollars　in　bank。　I　spent　nearly　all　of　this　sum　before　I　could　satisfy　the　accumulated　cravings　of　a　year　and　a　half　without　drink　or　tobacco；　or　a　decent　meal。　I　was　about　to　engage　in　a　little　business　as　a　vender　of　lottery　policies　when　I　first　began　to　feel　a　strange　sense　of　lassitude；　which　soon　increased　so　as　quite　to　disable　me　from　work　of　any　kind。　Month　after　month　passed　away；　while　my　money　lessened；　and　this　terrible　sense　of　weariness　went　on　from　bad　to　worse。　At　last　one　day；　after　nearly　a　year　had　elapsed；　I　perceived　on　my　face　a　large　brown　patch　of　color；　in　consequence　of　which　I　went　in　some　alarm　to　consult　a　well…known　physician。　He　asked　me　a　multitude　of　tiresome　questions；　and　at　last　wrote　off　a　prescription；　which　I　immediately　read。　It　was　a　preparation　of　arsenic。

‘‘What　do　you　think；''　said　I；　‘‘is　the　matter　with　me；　doctor？''

‘‘I　am　afraid；''　said　he；　‘‘that　you　have　a　　very　serious　troublewhat　we　call　Addison's　disease。''

‘‘What's　that？''　said　I。

‘‘I　do　not　think　you　would　comprehend　it；''　he　replied；　‘‘it　is　an　affection　of　the　suprarenal　capsules。''

I　dimly　remembered　that　there　were　such　organs；　and　that　nobody　knew　what　they　were　meant　for。　It　seemed　that　doctors　had　found　a　use　for　them　at　last。

‘‘Is　it　a　dangerous　disease？''　I　said。

‘‘I　fear　so；''　he　answered。

‘‘Don't　you　really　know；''　I　asked；　‘‘what's　the　truth　about　it？''

‘‘Well；''　he　returned　gravely；　‘‘I'm　sorry　to　tell　you　it　is　a　very　dangerous　malady。''

‘‘Nonsense！''　said　I；　‘‘I　don't　believe　it''；　for　I　thought　it　was　only　a　doctor's　trick；　and　one　I　had　tried　often　enough　myself。

‘‘Thank　you；''　said　he；　‘‘you　are　a　very　ill　man；　and　a　fool　besides。　Good　morning。''　He　forgot　to　ask　for　a　fee；　and　I　did　not　therefore　find　it　necessary　to　escape　payment　by　telling　him　I　was　a　doctor。

Several　weeks　went　by；　my　money　was　gone；　my　clothes　were　ragged；　and；　like　my　body；　nearly　worn　out；　and　now　I　am　an　inmate　of　a　hospital。　To…day　I　feel　weaker　　than　when　I　first　began　to　write。　How　it　will　end；　I　do　not　know。　If　I　die；　the　doctor　will　get　this　pleasant　history；　and　if　I　live；　I　shall　burn　it；　and　as　soon　as　I　get　a　little　money　I　will　set　out　to　look　for　my　sister。　I　dreamed　about　her　last　night。　What　I　dreamed　was　not　very　agreeable。　I　thought　it　was　night。　I　was　walking　up　one　of　the　vilest　streets　near　my　old　office；　and　a　girl　spoke　to　mea　shameless；　worn　creature；　with　great　sad　eyes。　Suddenly　she　screamed；　‘‘Brother；　brother！''　and　then　remembering　what　she　had　been；　with　her　round；　girlish；　innocent　face　and　fair　hair；　and　seeing　what　she　was　now；　I　awoke　and　saw　the　dim　light　of　the　half…darkened　ward。

I　am　better　to…day。　Writing　all　this　stuff　has　amused　me　and；　I　think；　done　me　good。　That　was　a　horrid　dream　I　had。　I　suppose　I　must　tear　up　all　this　biography。

‘‘Hello；　nurse！　The　little　boyboy''　　

‘‘GOOD　HEAVENS！''　said　the　nurse；　‘‘he　is　dead！　Dr。　Alston　said　it　would　happen　this　way。　The　screen；　quickthe　screenand　let　the　doctor　know。''






THE　CASE　OF　GEORGE　DEDLOW

The　following　notes　of　my　own　case　have　been　declined　on　various　pretests　by　every　medical　journal　to　which　I　have　offered　them。　There　was；　perhaps；　some　reason　in　this；　because　many　of　the　medical　facts　which　they　record　are　not　altogether　new；　and　because　the　psychical　deductions　to　which　they　have　led　me　are　not　in　themselves　of　medical　interest。　I　ought　to　add　that　a　great　deal　of　what　is　here　related　is　not　of　any　scientific　value　whatsoever；　but　as　one　or　two　people　on　whose　judgment　I　rely　have　advised　me　to　print　my　narrative　with　all　the　personal　details；　rather　than　in　the　dry　shape　in　which；　as　a　psychological　statement；　I　shall　publish　it　elsewhere；　I　have　yielded　to　their　views。　I　　suspect；　however；　that　the　very　character　of　my　record　will；　in　the　eyes　of　some　of　my　readers；　tend　to　lessen　the　value　of　the　metaphysical　discoveries　which　it　sets　forth。


I　am　the　son　of　a　physician；　still　in　large　practice；　in　the　village　of　Abington；　Scofield　County；　Indiana。　Expecting　to　act　as　his　future　partner；　I　studied　medicine　in　his　office；　and　in　1859　and　1860　attended　lectures　at　the　Jefferson　Medical　College　in　Philadelphia。　My　second　course　should　have　been　in　the　following　year；　but　the　outbreak　of　the　Rebellion　so　crippled　my　father's　means　that　I　was　forced　to　abandon　my　intention。　The　demand　for　army　surgeons　at　this　time　became　very　great；　and　although　not　a　graduate；　I　found　no　difficulty　in　getting　the　place　of　assistant　surgeon　to　the　Tenth　Indiana　Volunteers。　In　the　subsequent　Western　campaigns　this　organization　suffered　so　severely　that　before　the　term　of　its　service　was　over　it　was　merged　in　the　Twenty…first　Indiana　Volunteers；　and　I；　as　an　extra　surgeon；　ranked　by　the　medical　officers　of　the　latter　regiment；　was　transferred　to　the　Fifteenth　Indiana　Cavalry。　Like　many　physicians；　I　had　contracted　a　strong　taste　for　army　life；　　and；　disliking　cavalry　service；　sought　and　obtained　the　position　of　first　lieutenant　in　the　Seventy…ninth　Indiana　Volunteers；　an　infantry　regiment　of　excellent　character。

On　the　day　after　I　assumed　command　of　my　company；　which　had　no　captain；　we　were　sent　to　garrison　a　part　of　a　line　of　block…　houses　stretching　along　the　Cumberland　River　below　Nashville；　then　occupied　by　a　portion　of　the　command　of　General　Rosecrans。

The　life　we　led　while　on　this　duty　was　tedious　and　at　the　same　time　dangerous　in　the　extreme。　Food　was　scarce　and　bad；　the　water　horrible；　and　we　had　no　cavalry　to　forage　for　us。　If；　as　infantry；　we　attempted　to　levy　supplies　upon　the　scattered　farms　around　us；　the　population　seemed　suddenly　to　double；　and　in　the　shape　of　guerrillas　‘‘potted''　us　industriously　from　behind　distant　trees；　rocks；　or　fences。　Under　these　various　and　unpleasant　influences；　combined　with　a　fair　infusion　of　malaria；　our　men　rapidly　lost　health　and　spirits。　Unfortunately；　no　proper　medical　supplies　had　been　forwarded　with　our　small　force　（two　companies）；　and；　as　the　fall　advanced；　the　want　of　quinine　and　stimulants　became　a　serious　　annoyance。　Moreover；　our　rations　were　running　low；　we　had　been　three　weeks　without　a　new　supply；　and　our　commanding　officer；　Major　Henry　L。　Terrill；　began　to　be　uneasy　as　to　the　safety　of　his　men。　About　this　time　it　was　supposed　that　a　train　with　rations　would　be　due　from　the　post　twenty　miles　to　the　north　of　us；　yet　it　was　quite　possible　that　it　would　bring　us　food；　but　no　medicines；　which　were　what　we　most　needed。　The　command　was　too　small　to　detach　any　part　of　it；　and　the　major　therefore　resolved　to　send　an　officer　alone　to　the　post　above　us；　where　the　rest　of　the　Seventy…ninth　lay；　and　whence　they　could　easily　forward　quinine　and　stimulants　by　the　train；　if　it　had　not　left；　or；　if　it　had；　by　a　small　cavalry　escort。

It　so　happened；　to　my　cost；　as　it　turned　out；　that　I　was　the　only　officer　fit　to　make　the　journey；　and　I　was　accordingly　ordered　to　proceed　to　Blockhouse　No。　3　and　make　the　required　arrangements。　I　started　alone　just　after　dusk　the　next　night；　and　during　the　darkness　succeeded　in　getting　within　three　miles　of　my　destination。　At　this　time　I　found　that　I　had　lost　my　way；　and；　although　aware　of　the　danger　of　my　act；　was　forced　to　turn　aside　and　ask　at　a　log　cabin　for　　directions。　The　house　contained　a　dried…up　old　woman　and　four　white…headed；　half…naked　children。　The　woman　was　either　stone…deaf　or　pretended　to　be　so；　but；　at　all　events；　she　gave　me　no　satisfaction；　and　I　remounted　and　rode　away。　On　coming　to　the　end　of　a　lane；　into　which　I　had　turned　to　seek　the　cabin；　I　found　to　my　surprise　that　the　bars　had　been　put　up　during　my　brief　parley。　They　were　too　high　to　leap；　and　I　therefore　dismounted　to　pull　them　down。　As　I　touched　the　top　rail；　I　heard　a　rifle；　and　at　the　same　instant　felt　a　blow　on　both　arms；　which　fell　helpless。　I　staggered　to　my　horse　and　tried　to　mount；　but；　as　I　could　use　neither　arm；　the　effort　was　vain；　and　I　therefore　stood　still；　awaiting　my　fate。　I　am　only　conscious　that　I　saw　about　me　several　graybacks；　for　I　must　have　fallen　fainting　almost　immediately。

When　I　awoke　I　was　lying　in　the　cabin　near　by；　upon　a　pile　of　rubbish。　Ten　or　twelve　guerrillas　were　gathered　about　the　fire；　apparently　drawing