r 



THE SICK MAR'b COMPANIOKT 67 



f 



"^Efn. steam Doctor, as there had been some in 



the neighborhood, that had done a great deal of 



harm, and others again that were very highly 



thought of, and done a good deal of good, as^he 



expressed herself with a knowing like nod or 



shake of the head. I informed her, (as the lady 



was doing very well at the time,) for her own 



satisfaction, that I iiad practiced in several ways 



during my life, both under the old system, the 



new system, or steam system as she was pleased 



to call it, and under a system of my own, which 



was, to be governed by experience, reflection, 



and judgment, and use such remedies as I 



thought, best calculated to suit the coraplairif, 



and restore the patient in the shortest time. Du- 

 ring our conversation, however, the youn" lady 

 was properly attended to, matters about thl bed 

 and room, were put in proper order, and she 

 was doing remarkably well, ranch better than I 

 expected; but to my astonish ment and the d issati*- 

 faction of the midwife, the youni; lady's husband 

 returned from Lexington a little after dark, 

 bringing with him his favorite physician, whom 

 he wished to attend on his wife; and as he was 

 of the old school of practitioner-^, and a thorough 

 one too, I concluded there would be some clash^ 

 ing, and therefore let him take the command, anct 

 had but very little to say. T'le mid wife inform- 

 ed him of the circumstance in which I had found 

 the young lady, and how she was then, whkb. 



