at
first, twice,--that I might watch the effects. There was some danger of
an absorption of the cantharides into the system, which might do more of
general harm than would justify an attempt at local good.

No man ever followed the prescription of his physician with more
pertinacity and faithfulness than young Theodore. He adhered, without
wavering, to plain and unstimulating food, and to water for drink. At
the end of twenty-one days, all the fiery redness of the ulcer had
passed away, and it had begun to wear a healthy appearance. "Now," said
I, "you may take away your plasters, and let the sore get well, if it
will."

In about ten, or at most fourteen days more, the young man's nose was as
well as any other part of his system. Whether the Spanish flies
contained in the plaster had any thing to do with it, or whether it
recovered its healthful condition in spite of them,--having just then
got ready to heal,--I cannot, of course, positively determine. In any
event, the case was a strong one, though not stronger, I confess, than
that of dosing largely with calomel, as detailed in Chapter XXXII. And
yet, as I have already told you, I should not dare to repeat that heroic
treatment. Success is not always competent proof that a given course is
correct;--at least, this is true with regard to the success of a
particular formulary of medicine. There are very many things on earth to
be known and thought of, as well as in heaven.

CHAPTER L.

SWELLED LIMBS.

Not far from this period I was called to visit Mr. O. B., sixty-one
years of age, a farmer by occupation. He had been for twenty or thirty
years addicted to cider drinking very freely, according to the custom of
the country; which habit, conjoined with full feeding, a diminished
amount of exercise, and a lymphatic tendency by inheritance, had
rendered him exceedingly corpulent. His legs had even fallen into a
habit of swelling, especially at night, sometimes to a very alarming
extent.

His story concerning himself was essentially as follows: In getting into
a wagon, some time before, he had detached a small portion of skin from
one of his legs. Although the wound was slight, and was duly attended
to, according to the usual method of the family, with cabbage leaves,
and with considerable care and neatness, yet, instead of healing kindly,
it had put on a very unhealthy appearance, and had, at length, even
become extensively ulcerated. He was also habitually a