Opening paragraphs................

Dr. Iannis had enjoyed a satisfactory day in which none of his patients had died or got any worse.  He had attended to a surprisingly easy calving, lanced one abscess, extracted a molar, dosed one lady of easy virtue with Salvarsan, performed an unpleasant but spectacularly fruitful enema, and had produced a miracle by a feat of medical prestidigitation. 

-Louis de Bernieres,   Corelli's Mandolin