familiar with the hospital where Hans had been.
To my surprise he did not seem to see any joke in it. 'Can it be
possible,' said I, 'that Hans told the truth?' 'Well,' said he, 'in all
but one particular I think that he did.' 'And what was that particular?'
I asked. 'The card above his head did not have on it, 'Consumption,' but
'Phthisis Pulmonalis.'"

CHAPTER XVI.

The Count Steps Over the Line.

The Silver Cloud's crew, if we may so term it, had busied themselves in
various ways, according to their several dispositions and bents of mind.
Dr. Jones was occupied more or less of the time with the invalids, who
came to him from far and wide. The most inveterate cases of chronic
diseases constituted the bulk of his practice, and the cures that he
made were truly marvelous. The patience and interest of the Count never
flagged a moment. He continued at his post and interpreted for the
Doctor with surprising fidelity. Dr. Jones was so pleased with him that
he explained to his noble student every case for which he proscribed,
told him the name of the drug and precisely why he gave it. Surely here
was a model teacher and an ideal student.

Let it not be inferred that our Doctor was infallible, nor that he
always cured.

"There are many cases that are incurable, Sir Count, and we must learn
to know them almost by intuition. The causes of failure are numerous,
but you will notice that they are always to be found in the physician or
patient; never in the law of cure. If I be not able to apprehend and
duly estimate the symptoms of a given case, I must, of necessity, fail
to cure. Or if the patient be unruly, stupid, or willful, he must pay
the penalty. Frequently, the case has been rendered incurable by massive
dosage or surgery. My system cures all that is curable when
intelligently applied. And you will notice that in some instances there
is an absolute dearth of symptoms. You also observe that I give them a
dose and tell them to return in a week or ten days. When they return
they often exhibit a splendid crop of symptoms, and I experience no
trouble then in finding the remedy. These cases usually have a history
of suppressed eruption. At some time in their lives the itch, or eczema,
or some other skin trouble has been driven into their system by
external medicaments in the form of ointments, washes, etc. Lifelong
ailments, over which the old school have no control, are the result. A
large percentage of chronic di