MEDICAL STUDIES 33 



fellow-patient with all his senses still on the alert, 

 when the death-hour Of some one else in the ward 

 arrives, and the curtains are drawn around the dying 

 man's bed to hide the scene, and again when his 

 remains are removed to the post-mortem room. All 

 these things are, however, more hideous to the imagi- 

 nation than in reality. One piteous death-bed scene 

 much impressed me. A girl was fast dying of typhus, 

 and I had been instructed to apply a mustard plaister. 

 When I came to her, she was fully sensible, and said 

 in a faint but nicely mannered way, " Please leave me 

 in peace. I know I am dying, and am not suffering." 

 I had not the heart to distress her further. 



The opinions held by the students about the 

 several physicians and surgeons were curiously 

 guided by a mixture of loyalty and irreverence. 

 There was no doubt of the fact that M., one of the 

 doctors, who never professed or had a claim to 

 scientific acquirements, got his patients out of hospital 

 more quickly than any of his colleagues. His treat- 

 ment was as simple as that of Dr. Sangrado, though 

 of quite another kind. It consisted of a strong 

 purgative followed by low diet, and a subsequent 

 feeding up as soon as all fever had gone. The 

 composition of his drench never varied ; a big bottle 

 of it was made every morning in the dispensary, in 

 readiness to be served out. It was so cheap that the 

 overplus could be thrown away and a fresh infusion 

 made the next day. 



It is to be wished that some "index of curative 



skill " could be awarded to doctors, based on their 



respective hospital successes. I have often amused 



myself with imaginary schemes to this effect. If it 



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