BrokenTune

“No,” replied the doctor, “unless a man is in charge of a school, and always seeing rashes, it’s often very hard for him to be sure,” but he took the hint, and if he had been going to ask any more questions he abstained.

   “I suppose now,” said McDonald conversationally, “a general practitioner would find it hard to say a rash like mine was nothing infectious.”

   “That’s it; he would have to treat it as infectious, and if he wasn’t in the way of constantly seeing rashes, it wouldn’t occur to him that it could be chloral poisoning. Well, in the state you are, you must keep in bed for a few days; any chill you got now might turn to pneumonia, and you can’t do better than remain where you are.”

   “That’s all very well, but nurse tells me you’ve smallpox, diphtheria, and measles in the Hospital; I don’t want to catch any of them.”

   “Lord love you, man!” said the doctor, “you won’t catch anything here! or at least you’re a great deal less likely to do so than in any other house!”

   “You really know so well how to deal with your infection?” asked McDonald.

“I should just think so; you’re a lot safer here for smallpox than you are in the road outside,” and with that the doctor went off.

Erm,... What???