Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1911 — Nurse Disobeyed Orders But Patient Got Well. [ARTICLE]

Nurse Disobeyed Orders But Patient Got Well.

Uncle Isaac Thompson of Bluffton, Ohio, is here for his annual visit with Rensselaer relatives. Mr. Thompson will be 84 years of age next February, but he is as active as men twenty years his junior and bids fair to live many more years. He has already lived to an age twelve years greater than any of his father’s family-—Al-fred, Simon, Thomas and David Thompson of this city, all deceased, being brothers of his—he attributes this to the fact that he has never taken medicine, except home remedies, although he has had several quite serious spells of sickness. Uncle Isaac’s faith in medicines was given quite a shock when he wasbut a lad of 17, and he vowed then to have as little to do with doctors and medicines as possible. In his locality in Ohio at any early day there was much malaria, and one young man, who had practically got Oyer an attack, took a back set and had what the doctors called typhus fever. Isaac went to sit tip with him one night, and in those days the doctors never gave a fevgr patient water to drink, ahd he was cautioned not to let the young man have any water under any circumstances, except the few .'drops used -to ©ix the. powders, of which latter the doctor had left a supply to> be given at frequent intervals until he called next morning. Well, the sick man, as soon as they were alone, began begging Isaac to give him some water to drink, but the latter told him he had strict orders not to do so, and that the doctor said waer would kill him*, The patient* begged so hard and promised ‘that he would] never divulge the fact if Isaac would only give hjm ..one , little * sup, that finally the latter yielded to his pleadings and ; gave him about half a pint of water, which he took down at a gulp. He then begged for more, and Isaac finally told him that if what he had already given him did not hurt him in ten minutes he would give him a little more. The sick man watched the hands of the clock in the room, and the second: the time wasi up he demanded the i water. Isaac went out and pumped him a fresh tin full, about a pint, and brought it in. It was swallowed in an instant by the sick man, and he begged again for more. Again Isaac put him 6ff for ten minutes, when he brought him in another pint of the cooling draught. But still the sick man »wanted more. This time Isaac put him off fifteen minutes, when he gave him another pint of water, and still he wanted more. Isaac was then becoming considerably alarmed, and thought he had best turn the sick man to the wall where he cOuld not see the clock, and in a very few moments after he had i turned him over the patient went off to sleep and slept soundly and

peacefully until the doctor came about 6:30 next morning. He slept so soundly that Isaac could not waken him to give him the powders, and he thought it would never do to let the doctor see all that medicine untouched, and whenever the time rolled around to give a powder Isaac emptied -the medicine in the fire and left the empty papers on the table. He har! quite a stack of them when morning came. On the arrival of the doctor the sick man awoke and turned over. The doctor saw that he was much better, and swelled up as he said: “Ah, ha. The medicine has done the work ; you are much better. You’ll get along' all right now.” The patient asked for a drink. "No, no,” said the doctor, "You’ll have to wait two or three days yet before you have anything to drink; jt would kill you now. 7 The poor man wanted a drink so badly, however, that he forgot his promises to Isaac, and blurted out: “I know better; I know it won’t kill me because I’ve had a whole lot.” "Had water!” cried the doctor. "Who gave it to you ?” "Isaac did,” said the patient. Isaac’s feelings about this time may be imagined, and the doctor turned on him and demanded how much he had given him. "Nearly two quarts,” said Isaac. "How long has he slept?” queried the man of medicine.” Since nine o’clock last night,” Isaac replied. "Well, if he slept all this time where is the medicine he was to have taken?” Poor Isaac was caught redhanded, and told the doctor that he could not waken the man to give him the medicine, and to avoid explanations had thrown it in the stove. The doctor was greatly embarrassed, and told. Isaac that he never had anything so upset him in all his practice, but it is presumed that he changed his ideas somewhat on giving water in fevers, which is now general. The man got well, but the experience left a lasting impression on Isaac’s mind, and he has alt his life fought shy of doctors and taken little medicine. He has always been temperate in his eating and never touched intoxicating liquors. As a result a more well preserved man at his age would be hard to find anywhere.