As the young student grew older and became more practised in his profession,
his services were of more importance to the doctor. The physician having
a good business, and a large number of his patients being slaves,--
the most of whom had to call on the doctor when ill,--he put Sam
to bleeding, pulling teeth, and administering medicine to the slaves.
Sam soon acquired the name among the slaves of the "Black Doctor."
With this appellation he was delighted; and no regular physician could have
put on more airs than did the black doctor when his services were required.
In bleeding, he must have more bandages, and would rub and smack the arm
more than the doctor would have thought of.

Sam was once seen taking out a tooth for one of his patients,
and nothing appeared more amusing. He got the poor fellow down
on his back, and then getting astride of his chest, he applied
the turnkeys and pulled away for dear life. Unfortunately, he had
got hold of the wrong tooth, and the poor man screamed as loud
as he could; but it was to no purpose, for Sam had him fast,
and after a pretty severe tussle out came the sound grinder.
The young doctor now saw his mistake, but consoled himself
with the thought that as the wrong tooth was out of the way,
there was more room to get at the right one.

Bleeding and a dose of calomel were always considered
indispensable by the "old boss," and as a matter of course,
Sam followed in his footsteps.

On one occasion the old doctor was ill himself, so as to be unable to attend
to his patients. A slave, with pass in hand, called to receive medical
advice, and the master told Sam to examine him and see what he wanted.
This delighted him beyond measure, for although he had been acting