Anna Karenina - Part 2 - Page 2/124

"Well, doctor, decide our fate," said the princess. "Tell me

everything."

"Is there hope?" she meant to say, but her lips quivered, and she

could not utter the question. "Well, doctor?"

"Immediately, princess. I will talk it over with my colleague,

and then I will have the honor of laying my opinion before you."

"So we had better leave you?"

"As you please."

The princess went out with a sigh.

When the doctors were left alone, the family doctor began timidly

explaining his opinion, that there was a commencement of

tuberculous trouble, but...and so on. The celebrated doctor

listened to him, and in the middle of his sentence looked at his

big gold watch.

"Yes," said he. "But..."

The family doctor respectfully ceased in the middle of his

observations.

"The commencement of the tuberculous process we are not, as you

are aware, able to define; till there are cavities, there is

nothing definite. But we may suspect it. And there are

indications; malnutrition, nervous excitability, and so on. The

question stands thus: in presence of indications of tuberculous

process, what is to be done to maintain nutrition?"

"But, you know, there are always moral, spiritual causes at the

back in these cases," the family doctor permitted himself to

interpolate with a subtle smile.

"Yes, that's an understood thing," responded the celebrated

physician, again glancing at his watch. "Beg pardon, is the

Yausky bridge done yet, or shall I have to drive around?" he

asked. "Ah! it is. Oh, well, then I can do it in twenty

minutes. So we were saying the problem may be put thus: to

maintain nutrition and to give tone to the nerves. The one is in

close connection with the other, one must attack both sides at

once."

"And how about a tour abroad?" asked the family doctor.

"I've no liking for foreign tours. And take note: if there is

an early stage of tuberculous process, of which we cannot be

certain, a foreign tour will be of no use. What is wanted is

means of improving nutrition, and not for lowering it." And the

celebrated doctor expounded his plan of treatment with Soden

waters, a remedy obviously prescribed primarily on the ground

that they could do no harm.

The family doctor listened attentively and respectfully.

"But in favor of foreign travel I would urge the change of

habits, the removal from conditions calling up reminiscences.

And then the mother wishes it," he added.