Again there was no answer, this time not even any motion.
"Have you any pain?" asked Gordon. The man lay motionless. "Is there any one in the parlor?" Gordon asked abruptly of Georgie K.
"No, Doc. You can go right in there."
Gordon beckoned to James, and the two went downstairs, and entered the room of the wax flowers and the stuffed canary.
"It looks like erysipelas," Gordon said with no preface.
James nodded.
"All I have done so far, in the absence of any positive proof of the truth of that diagnosis, is to apply what you will think an old woman's remedy, but I have known it to give good results in light cases, and I did not like to resort to the more strenuous methods until I was sure of my ground, for fear of complications. I applied a little mutton tallow, and that was all, but the inflammation has increased since I saw him. It now looks to me like a clearly defined case of erysipelas."
"It does to me," said James.
"So far—the—wound in the throat seems to be doing well," said Gordon gloomily. Then he looked at the younger physician with an odd, helpless expression. "His life must be saved," said he. "Which do you prefer of the two methods of treating the disease—that is, of the two primary ones? Of course, there are methods innumerable. I may have grown rusty in my country practice. [pg 198] Do you prefer the leaches, the nitrate of silver, the low diet, or the reverse?"
"I think I prefer the reverse."