Project Gutenberg 2007-10-03 Public domain in the USA. 134 Nourse, Alan Edward 1928 1992 Edwards, Al Nourse, Alan E. (Alan Edward) An Ounce of Cure Produced from "The Counterfeit Man: More Science Fiction Stories by Alan E. Nourse" published in 1963. Produced by Greg Weeks, LN Yaddanapudi and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "An Ounce of Cure" by Alan Edward Nourse is a satirical short story written during the early 20th century. The narrative revolves around the complexities and absurdities of modern medicine and the various specialties that exist within it. Through the experience of a middle-aged man, the story critiques the healthcare system’s tendency to treat symptoms while failing to address the root causes of health issues. The plot follows James Wheatley, a 55-year-old man who visits a doctor due to a pain in his little toe. What starts as a simple issue quickly spirals into a convoluted journey through various medical specialists, highlighting the fragmented nature of healthcare. Each doctor Wheatley encounters insists on passing him along to another specialist, making his condition more complex and overwhelming. Ultimately, the story illustrates the often humorous yet frustrating experience patients face when navigating the medical system, culminating in Wheatley’s realization that his toe pain has become a secondary concern amidst a plethora of unnecessary tests and consultations. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 78.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Medical fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Short Stories Category: Humour Category: Health & Medicine 34567 2025-08-09T12:55:01.624498 text/html 30697 2007-10-03T09:03:10 text/html 84103 2025-08-09T12:55:05.909502 application/epub+zip 82782 2025-08-09T12:55:03.928509 application/epub+zip 79800 2025-08-09T12:55:02.921521 application/epub+zip 167911 2025-08-09T12:55:07.355470 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 161322 2025-08-09T12:55:05.280479 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 138545 2022-09-10T15:42:04.489688 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 28349 2025-08-09T12:55:01.404522 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 28268 2007-10-03T09:03:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 33415 2007-06-11T17:53:28 application/octet-stream 60519 2007-06-11T17:53:28 application/octet-stream 55227 2007-06-11T17:53:28 application/octet-stream 64693 2007-06-11T17:53:28 application/octet-stream 62272 2007-06-11T17:53:28 application/octet-stream 23210 2025-08-09T12:55:07.490476 application/rdf+xml 13021 2025-08-09T12:55:03.418510 image/jpeg 3416 2025-08-09T12:55:03.164500 image/jpeg 11910 2007-10-03T09:03:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 10883 2007-10-03T09:03:12 application/octet-stream application/zip 81934 2025-08-09T12:55:01.628508 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia