Page:Alcohol, a Dangerous and Unnecessary Medicine.djvu/306

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298
ALCOHOL AS A MEDICINE.

largely a matter of routine may be seen from the following two cases, reported to the writer by county superintendents of the department of Medical Temperance.

In the first case, the physician said to the nurse, "If the patient's heart becomes weak, you might give a little brandy or whisky." Seeing reluctance expressed upon the nurse's countenance, he added hastily, "Or coffee, strong coffee will do just as well." The nurse in reporting this to the writer, said, "Why couldn't he have ordered coffee in the first place if he thought it equally good?"

The second case was that of an aged woman whose physician ordered whisky as a tonic. Her granddaughter ventured to ask, "Would not whisky have a narcotic rather than a tonic effect?" He replied thoughtfully, " Well, tell the truth, I suppose it would."