Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

suggestion by adding one-twentieth of a grain of strych- nia in combination with five grains of quinine every four hours. Doctor Killeni rubbed his hands together as an evidence of delight, and exclaimed : " The very treatment needed ! With morphine, hot baths and lithia, strychnia and quinine, our patient must recover. But I will not detain you further, gentlemen ! Let us fix the consulta- tion of to-morrow at four o'clock. Is it agreed ? " Pro- fessors Billem and Pillem nodded an affirmative to this proposition and retired. It was noticeable, however, that they were out of humor over their disagreement ; nevertheless, a diagnosis had been made; and what is disease without a diagnosis ? " So this a modern consultation ? " mused Athothis. " Verily the skill of these men surprises me, and their method of arriving at a conclusion is most extraordinary. If medicine is truly a science, as claimed by writers of the present day, one should carefully consider the facts of a given case ; then study the principles based on these facts. In this, as well as in every other patient, a disease can only be determined by a minute examination of the symptoms. Without a true insight as to the significance of morbid signs, no physician can make an accurate diagnosis. This keen perception can not be obtained from books alone, but usually follows observation founded on long experience." " But these doctors, no doubt, investigated the case before we arrived," remarked Paulus Androcydes. " Know that modern practitioners always carefully exam- ine a patient's tongue and pulse, make numerous queries as to the condition of the secretions and morbid sensa- tions, and likewise carefully auscultate and percuss. In addition, when indicated, they use the microscope, sphyg-