hard cash-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　room　inaudibly；　and　after　the　usual　civilities；　glanced　a！　the　patient's　tongue；　and　touched　her　wrist　delicately。　〃Pulse　is　rapid；〃　said　he。

Mrs。　Dodd　detailed　the　symptoms。　Dr。　Short　listened　within　the　patient　politeness　of　a　gentleman；　to　whom　all　this　was　superfluous。　He　asked　for　a　sheet　of　note…paper；　and　divided　it　so　gently；　he　seemed　to　be　persuading　one　thing　to　be　two。　He　wrote　a　pair　of　prescriptions；　and　whilst　thus　employed　looked　up　every　now　and　then　and　conversed　with　the　ladies。

〃You　have　a　slight　subscapular　affection；　Miss　Dodd：　I　mean；　a　little　pain　under　the　shoulder…blade。〃

〃No；　sir；〃　said　Julia　quietly。

Dr。　Short　looked　a　little　surprised；　his　female　patients　rarely　contradicted　him。　Was　it　for　them　to　disown　things　he　was　so　a　good　as　to　assign　them？

〃Ah！〃　said　he；　〃you　are　not　conscious　of　it：　all　the　better；　it　must　be　slight；　a　mere　uneasiness：　no　more。〃　He　then　numbered　the　prescriptions；　1；　2；　and　advised　Mrs。　Dodd　to　（1r01）　No。　I　after　the　eighth　day；　and　substitute　No。　2；　to　be　continued　until　convalescence。　He　put　on　his　gloves　to　leave。　Mrs。　Dodd　then；　with　some　hesitation；　asked　him　humbly　whether　she　might　ask　him　what　the　disorder　was。　〃Certainly；　madam；〃　said　he　graciously；　〃your　daughter　is　labouring　under　a　slight　torpidity　of　the　liver。　The　first　prescription　is　active；　and　is　to　clear　the　gland　itself；　and　the　biliary　ducts；　of　the　excretory　accumulation；　and　the　second　is　exhibited　to　promote　a　healthy　normal　habit　in　that　important　part　of　the　vascular　system。〃

〃What；　then；　it　is　not　Hyperaemia？〃

〃Hyperaemia？　There　is　no　such　disorder　in　the　books。〃

〃You　surprise　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Dodd。　〃Dr。　Osmond　certainly　thought　it　was　Hyperaemia。〃　And　she　consulted　her　little　ivory　tablets；　whereon　she　had　written　the　word。

But　meantime；　Dr。　Short's　mind；　to　judge　by　his　countenance；　was　away　roaming　distant　space　in　search　of　Osmond。

〃Osmond？　Osmond？　I　do　not　know　that　name　in　medicine。〃

〃Oh；　oh；　oh！〃　cried　Julia；　〃and　they　both　live　in　the　same　street！〃　Mrs。　Dodd　held　up　her　finger　to　this　outspoken　patient。

But　a　light　seemed　to　break　in　on　Dr。　Short。　〃Ah！　you　mean　Mr。　Osmond：　a　surgeon。　A　very　respectable　man；　a　most　respectable　man。　I　do　not　know　a　more　estimable　personin　his　grade　of　the　professionthan　my　good　friend　Mr。　Osmond。　And　so　he　gives　opinions　in　medical　cases；　does　he？〃　Dr。　Short　paused；　apparently　to　realise　this　phenomenon　in　the　world　of　Mind。　He　resumed　in　a　different　tone：　〃You　may　have　misunderstood　him。　Hyperaemia　exists；　of　course；　since　he　says　so。　But　Hyperaemia　is　not　a　complaint；　it　is　a　symptom。　Of　biliary　derangement。　My　worthy　friend　looks　at　disorders　from　a　mental　point；　very　natural：　his　interest　lies　that　way；　perhaps　you　are　aware：　but　profounder　experience　proves　that　mental　sanity　is　merely　one　of　the　results　of　bodily　health：　and　I　am　happy　to　assure　you　that；　the　biliary　canal　once　cleared；　and　the　secretions　restored　to　the　healthy　habit　by　these　prescriptions；　the　Hyperaemia；　and　other　concomitants　of　hepatic　derangement；　will　disperse；　and　leave　our　interesting　patient　in　the　enjoyment　of　her　natural　intelligence；　her　friends'　affectionate　admiration；　and　above　all；　of　a　sound　constitution。　Ladies；　I　have　the　honour〃　and　the　Doctor　eked　out　this　sentence　by　rising。

〃Oh；　thank　you；　Dr。　Short；〃　said　Mrs。　Dodd；　rising　within　him；　〃you　inspire　me　with　confidence　and　gratitude。　As　if　under　the　influence　of　these　feelings　only；　she　took　Dr。　Short's　palm　and　pressed　it。　Of　the　two　hands；　which　met　for　a　moment　then；　one　was　soft　and　melting；　the　other　a　bunch　of　bones；　but　both　were　very　white；　and　so　equally　adroit；　that　a　double　fee　passed　without　the　possibility　of　a　bystander　suspecting　it。

For　the　benefit　of　all　young　virgins　afflicted　like　Julia　Dodd；　here　are　the　Doctor's　prescriptions：

FOR　MISS　DODD。

Rx　Pil：　Hydrarg：　Chlor：　Co：　singuml：　nocte　sumend：　Decoc：　Aloes　Co：　3j　omni　mane　viii。　Sept。　J。　S。

…

FOR　MISS　DODD。

Rx　Conf：　Sennae。　Potass：　Bitartrat。　Extr：　Tarax：　a　a　3ss　Misft：　Elect：　Cujus　sum：　3j　omni　mane。　xviii。　Sept。　J。　S。

…

Id：　Anglie　reddit：　per　me　Carol：　Arundin：

The　same　done　into　English　by　me。　C。　R。


FOR　MISS　DODD。

1。　O　Jupiter　aid　us！！　Plummer's　pill　to　be　taken　every　night；　1　oz。　compound　decoction　of　Aloes　every　morning。

8th　Sept。　J。　S。

FOR　MISS　DODD。

2。　O　Jupiter　aid　us！！　with　Confection　of　Senna；　Bitartrate　of　Potash；　extract　of　Dandelion；　of　each　half　an　ounce；　let　an　electuary　be　mixed；　of　which　let　her　take　1　drachm　every　morning。

18th　Sept。　J。　S。

…

〃Quite　the　courtier；〃　said　Mrs。　Dodd；　delighted。　Julia　assented：　she　even　added；　with　a　listless　yawn；　〃I　had　no　idea　that　a　skeleton　was　such　a　gentlemanlike　thing；　I　never　saw　one　before。〃

　Mrs。　Dodd　admitted　he　was　very　thin。

〃Oh　no；　mamma；　'thin'　implies　some　little　flesh。　When　he　felt　my　pulse；　a　chill　struck　to　my　heart。　Death　in　a　black　suit　seemed　to　steal　up　to　me；　and　lay　a　finger　on　my　wrist：　and　mark　me　for　his　own。〃

Mrs。　Dodd　forbade　her　to　give　way　to　such　gloomy　ideas；　and　expostulated　firmly　with　her　for　judging　learned　men　by　their　bodies。　〃However；〃　said　she；　〃if　the　good；　kind　doctor's　remedies　do　not　answer　his　expectations　and　mine；　I　shall　take　you　to　London　directly。　I　do　hope　papa　will　soon　be　at　home。〃

Poor　Mrs。　Dodd　was　herself　slipping　into　a　morbid　state。　A　mother　collecting　Doctors！　It　is　a　most　fascinating　kind　of　connoisseurship；　grows　on　one　like　Drink；　like　Polemics；　like　Melodrama；　like　the　Millennium；　like　any　Thing。

Sure　enough；　the　very　next　week　she　and　Julia　sat　patiently　at　the　morning　levee　of　an　eminent　and　titled　London　surgeon。　Full　forty　patients　were　before　them：　so　they　had　to　wait　and　wait。　At　last　they　were　ushered　into　the　presence…chamber；　and　Mrs。　Dodd　entered　on　the　beaten　ground　of　her　daughter's　symptoms。　The　noble　surgeon　stopped　her　civilly　but　promptly。　〃Auscultation　will　give　us　the　clue；〃　said　he；　and　drew　his　stethoscope。　Julia　shrank　and　cast　an　appealing　look　at　her　mother；　but　the　impassive　chevalier　reported　on　each　organ　in　turn　without　moving　his　ear　from　the　key…hole：　〃Lungs　pretty　sound；〃　said　he；　a　little　plaintively：　〃so　is　the　liver。　Now　for　theHum？　There　is　no　kardiae　insufficiency；　I　think；　neither　mitral　nor　tricuspid。　If　we　find　no　tendency　to　hypertrophy　we　shall　do　very　well。　Ah！　I　have　succeeded　in　diagnosing　a　slight　diastolic　murmur；　very　slight。〃　He　deposited　the　instrument；　and　said；　not　without　a　certain　shade　of　satisfaction　that　his　research　had　not　been　fruitless；　〃The　heart　is　the　peccant　organ。〃

〃Oh；　sir！　is　it　serious？〃　said　poor　Mrs。　Dodd。

〃By　no　means。　Try　this〃　（he　scratched　a　prescription　which　would　not　have　misbecome　the　tomb　of　Cheops）；　〃and　come　again　in　a　month。〃　Ting！　He　struck　a　bell。　That　〃ting〃　said；　〃Go；　live；　Guinea；　and　let　another　come。〃

〃Heart…disease　now！　〃　Said　Mrs。　Dodd；　sinking　back　in　her　hired　carriage；　and　the　tears　were　in　her　patient　eyes。

〃My　own；　own　mamma；〃　said　Julia　earnestly；　〃do　not　distress　yourself。　I　have　no　disease　in　the　world；　but　my　old；　old；　old　one；　of　being　a　naughty；　wayward　girl。　As　for　you；　mamma；　you　have　resigned　your　own　judgment　to　your　inferiors；　and　that　is　both　our　misfortunes。　Dear；　dear　mamma；　do　take　me　to　a　doctress　next　time；　if　you　have　not　had　enough。〃

〃To　a　what；　love？〃

〃A　she…doctor；　then。〃

〃A　female　physician；　child？　There　is　no　such　thing。　No；　assurance　is　becoming　a　characteristic　of　our　sex；　but　we　have　not　yet　intruded　ourselves　into　the　learned　professions；　thank　Heaven。〃

〃Excuse　me；　mamma；　there　are　one　or　two；　for　the　newspapers　say　so。〃

〃'Well；　dear；　there　are　none　in　this　country；　happily。〃

〃'What；　not　in　London？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　what　_is_　the　use　of　such　a　great　overgrown　place；　all　smoke；　if　there　is　nothing　in　it　you　cannot　find　in　the　country？　Let　us　go　back　to　Barkington　this　very　day；　this　minute；　this　instant；　oh；　pray；　pray。〃

〃And　so　you　shallto…morrow。　But　you　must　pity　your　poor　mother's　anxiety；　and　see　Dr。　Chalmers　first。〃

〃Oh；　mamma；　not　another　surgeon！　He　frightened　me；　he　hurt　me。　I　never　heard　of　such　a　thing；　oh；　please　not　another　surgeon。〃

〃It　is　not　a　surgeon；　dear；　it　is　the　Court　Physician。〃

The　Court　Physician　detected　〃a　somewhat　morbid　condition　of　the　great　nervous　centres。〃　To　an　inquiry　whether　there　was　heart…disease；　he　replied；　〃Pooh！〃　On　being　told　Sir　William　had　announced　heart…disease；　he　said；　〃Ah！　_that　alters　the　case　entirely。_〃　He　maintained；　however；　that　it　must　be　trifling；　and　would　go　no　further；　the　nervous　system　once　restored　to　its　healthy　tone。　〃O　Jupiter；　aid　us！　Blue　pill　and　Seidhitz　powder。〃

Dr。　Kenyon　found　the　mucous　membrane　was　irritated　and　required　soothing。　〃O　Jupiter；　&c。〃

Mrs。　Dodd　returned　home　consoled　and　confused；　Julia　listless　and　apathetic。　Tea　was　ordered；　with　two　or　three　kinds　of　bread；　thinnest　slices　of　meat；　and　a　little　blane　mange；　&c。；　their　favourite　repast　after　a　journey；　and　whilst　the　tea　was　drawing；　Mrs。　Dodd　looked　over　the　card…tray　and　enumerated　the　visitors　that　had　called　during　their　absence。　〃Dr。　Short　Mr。　OsmondMrs。　HetheringtonMr。　Alfred　HardieLady　DewryMrs。　and　Miss　Bosanquet。　What　a　pity