THE OTHER SIDE.
| It’s a very good rule in all things of life, When judging a friend or brother, Not to look at the question alone on one side, But always to turn to the other. We are apt to be selfish in all our views, In the jostling, headlong race, And so, to be right, ere you censure a man, Just “put yourself in his place.”—Anon. |
PUT YOURSELF IN HIS PLACE.—STEALING FROM THE PROFESSION.—ANECDOTE OF RUFUS CHOATE.—INGRATES.—A NIGHT ROW.—“SAVING AT THE SPIGOT AND WASTING AT THE BUNG.”—SHOPPING PATIENTS.—AN AFFECTIONATE WIFE.—RUM AND TOBACCO PATIENTS.—THE PHYSICIAN’S WIDOW AND ORPHANS, THE SUMMONS, THE TENEMENT, THE INVALIDS, HOW THEY LIVED, HER HISTORY, THE UNNATURAL FATHER, HOW THEY DIED, THE END.—A PETER-FUNK DOCTOR.—SELLING OUT.
While I trust that respectable, educated physicians will take no offence at the exposé in the foregoing chapters, as nothing therein is intended to lessen them in public opinion, or detract from the merit of the True Physician of any school, I cannot leave the subject without presenting some facts to show that the people are not blameless in creating and maintaining so many humbugs and impositions, to the damage and scandal of respectable practitioners and legitimate medicine.
Stealing from the Profession.
I need not tell men of any profession, that there are those, even in the respectable walks of life, who will watch their opportunity to button-hole the lawyer or the doctor, in the public streets, to “just ask him a question,” rather than call at his office, where a fee would certainly be a just compensation for the expected advice.
One of these highway robbers once overtook Mr. Choate, the great Boston lawyer, on a public street, and asked him if he should sue Mr. Jones, so and so, briefly stating his case, if he, the lawyer, thought he, Smith, would win the suit.
“O, yes,” replied the great lawyer; and Smith went on his way rejoicing.
The case went to trial, Smith vs. Jones. Smith employed a cheap pettifogger. Jones employed Mr. Choate to defend him, and gained the suit.