Being interested in these things, I examined more closely into their past medical history, and saw more clearly the present folly of a certain part of our medicinal practice.  How we are struggling with alcohol, especially as found in so many of our patent medicines, and how helpless we are in trying to abolish the sale of these medicines by reason of our unbounded liberty!  In our world, a man may concoct any alcoholic medicine and sell it without liquor license, for people become verily mad for the bottled stuff.  Our nation may some day become wise enough to keep its own hand on the business that is determining the health and happiness of millions of its inhabitants.

But let me cease this digression and get back once more to Dore-lyn.

One of the most noted medical achievements on this world consists in the manner of rendering a person unconscious of pain.  The anatomy of a Dore-lynite is, in general, the same as our anatomy.  Their bones are arranged a little differently and the sections of the backbone have a quite different formation.  When a surgeon of that world wishes to perform an operation and therefore render the patient unconscious, he presses the tough cartilagenous part of a section of the backbone with a screw device fastened to the body of the patient.  This simple act renders the spinal cord insensitive, which condition may be maintained for hours without injuring the patient.  Of course any point above the screw device is sensitive, and for this reason it is more difficult to render a person unconscious in the parts about the head.

Many ages ago the world of microbes was laid bare, but not before these people were masters of the microscope or an instrument serving the same purposes, although formed on a partly different principle.

These Dore-lynites have brought to light the numerous varieties of parasite broods that cause fermentations and diseases, both infectious and otherwise.

A diseased body is looked upon as being in possession of a certain brood of microbes which are destroyed either by the blood filter or the “Vaccine bath, or injection.” (I know no better name by which to call it.) A few diseases are treated by doses of medicines given in a manner similar to the prescription system of our country.

The “Food Treatment” is also very popular in Dore-lyn.  This is merely a hygienic selection of foods given to people of declining health, instead of having them swallow ten or twenty dollars’ worth of strong medicines.

Abnormal appetites crave for a class of foods injurious to the system.  In Dore-lyn they have discovered a novel method of turning the diseased appetite from its cravings toward the things needed by the system.

In performing operations, the experts of Dore-lyn have reached a marvelous degree of perfection.  They have learned to make a false eye so that one can see with it.  It took three and one-half thousand years of continual experimenting on this delicate creation before it was pronounced satisfactory.