would not be
very likely to have an ulcerated alimentary canal, or bad blood; or to
be injured by swallowing every five minutes a table-spoonful of cold
water; no, nor to sink as quickly as other people under the depressing
tendency of irritating or poisonous medicine.

This last-mentioned fact concerning the use of water,--for it is a fact
on which we can rely, and not one of those statements which Dr. Cullen
was accustomed to call "false facts,"--was to me exceedingly
instructive. It taught me more concerning the human constitution and the
laws of health and disease than I had ever before learned from a single
case of mere disease, in my whole life; and I endeavored to make a wise
use of it--of which as I trust, I shall give some evidence in the very
next chapter.

CHAPTER XIX.

CHEATING THE PHYSICIAN.

It was by no means an uncommon thing with me, while studying medicine,
to take long walks. One day, in the progress of one of these rambles, I
came so near the family mansion of a young man with whom I had formerly
been acquainted, that I thought I would, for once, go a little out of my
way and make a call on him. And judge, reader, if you can, of my
surprise, when I found him exceedingly sick. For residing, as we did,
only a few miles apart, why had I not heard of it? Most people, in
truth, would have called on some of the young doctors--for there were
three or four of us together,--to take care of the sick man, especially
by night. Young doctors, I grant--and this for various reasons which
might be named, were it needful--are usually the very worst of watchers
and nurses of the sick; but the public often appear to think otherwise,
and even to prefer them.

I found him under the care of an old school physician;--one who, though
he otherwise prescribed very well, gave quite too much medicine; and
like the old physician mentioned in the preceding chapter, mortally
detested cold water; at least he detested its use in bowel complaints.
The young man's case, however, was as yet wholly unlike that of the
elderly gentleman of the foregoing chapter; and cold water at first, was
not particularly needed; nor perhaps quite safe.

Some few days afterward, I called again. Found my young friend rather
less feverish, but no better; in fact, he was much worse, and was most
obviously running down. I continued after this to call on him daily,
till he too, like the old man before mentioned, began to beg for cold
water. B