The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-05-25
From the Diary cfa late Physician.
CANCER

CANCER
One often hears of the frmness of the fe
male sex and their powers of enduring the
I degree OF physical pain which would utter
( ly break down the strength of man. An in
teresting exemplifcation of this remark will be
found IN the short narrative Immediately fol.
! lowing The event made a strong impression
upon my mind at the time, and thought it
well worthy an entry in my Diary.
mad Tor several months been in constant at.
| tendance on a Mrs. st. -, a Young married
lady of considerable family and fortune, who
was the vctimof that terrible scourge of ihe fe-
male sex-a cancer. To great personal at,rac-
tons, she added an uncommon sweetness of dis.
! position; and the fortitude with which she sub
United to the agonizng inroads of her m,lady.
( together with her ardent expressions of graft
tude for such temporary alleviations as her
anxious medical attendants could supply, con-
tributed to inspire me with very lively interest
IN her fate. | can conscientiously say, that dur.
ing the whole period of my attendance, new
er heard word of complaint fall from her, nor
witnessed any indications of impatieBcs or irri-
liability. found her one morning stretched on
the crimson sofa in the drawing room, and
though her pallid features and gently corrugat-
cd eyebrows evnced the intense agony she
was sutferlng-on my enquirng what sort of a
night she passed, she replied in a calm but
tremulous tone, ooh, Doctor, | have had a
dreadful night-but am glad Captain St. -
was not with me-for it would ha We made him
very wretched At that moment fine f1axen
haired little boy, her first and only child, came
running into the room, his blue laughing eyes
glitterng with innocent merriment. took
him on my knee and anu sod him with MY watch
in order that he might not disturb his mother
| The poor sufferer, after gazing on him with an
covered her eyes with her band Ooh, how slen-
der-how snowy-how almost transparent was
1t land presently saw the tears trucking
through her fngers-but she uttered not a
word. There wac tho mother The agra
waited malIgnIlY of her disorder rendered an on.
Grafton at length inevitable. The eminent sur
geon, who, jointly, with myself, was in regu-
lar attendance on her, feelinglv communicated
the intelligence, and asked whether she thought
she had fortItude enough to submit to an oper-
alton. She assured him, with a sweet smile of
| resignation, that she had for some time been
suspectlng as much, and made up her mind to
submit TO It-but on two conditOns--that her
husband (who was then at sea) should not be
informed OF 1t till it was over ; and that during
the operation she should not be in any wise
bound or bindfolded Her calm and decisive
manner convinced me that remonstrance would
be useless. Sir - looked at me with doubt
full air. She observed it !; and said, | sec what
you are thinking, Sir -, but | hope to show
you that woman has more courage tlIan you
| seem willing to give her credit for In short,
after the surgeon had acquiesced in the latter
condtion-to which he had especially demurr.
| ed-a day was fixed for the operation-subject
of course, to Mrs. SIS state of health.
When the Wednesday arrived it was with some
agitation that | entered Sir IS carriage in
company with himself, and his senior pupil,
Mr.. -. l could scarce avoid certain ner-
vous tremor-unprDtessional as it may SEEM
when saw the servant place the operating
! case on the seat Of the carriage. 'Are you sure
! you have every thing ready, Mr.. -" inquired
Sir -, with calm and business-lke air,
| which somewhat irritated me- On being
sured of the affirmative, and after cautiously
casting his eye over the case of instruments to
make assurance douby sure, we drove off. We
arrived at Mrs. St-'s, who resided few
miles from town, about two o'clock in the af.
ternoon and were ushered into the room in
which the operation was to be performed-a
| back parlor, the window of which looked into
beautiful garden. | shall be pardoned, hope,
for acknowledging that the glimpse caught of
[ the pale and disordered countenance of the SER
! want, as he retired after showing us the room,
somewhat disconnected me for in addition to
the deep interest felt in the fate of the lovely
| suhOiSi3 Hdu always an dDHOTEenCe lot tne
operative part Of the profession, which many
years Of practice did not suffice to remove. The
| necessary arrangements being at length COM
! pleted, consisting of hateful array OF instru-
! ments, cloths, sponge, warm water, &c. &c, a
message was sent TO Mrs. ST, to inform her
all was ready.
| Sir --- was Just making jocular and not
very well timed alusion to my agitated air,
when the door was opened, and Mrs. ST. en-
tered, followed by her attendants. Her step
was hrm--her air compassionate her pale fea-
ture irradiatsd with a smie-sad, however as
the cold twilight of October. She was then
about twenty six seven years of age-and
under all the disadvantageous circumstances in
which she was placed, looked at that moment
a beautiful woman. Her hair was light au
burn, and hung back neglectodly over fore.
head and neck white as marble. Her full blue
eyes, which usually beamed with a delicious
| pensve expression from beneath the soft Ian
| guor of the dropping lid were now lighted
with the glitter ola restessness and agitation,
which the noblest degree of self command could
not entirely conceal or repress. Her features
were regular-her nose and mouth were OK.
| quisitely chiselled-and her complexion fair,
almost to ansparency-indeed an eminent
medical writer has remarked that the most
beautiful women are generally the subjects OF
this terrible disease, A large Indian shawl was
thrown over her shoulders, and she wore a
white muslin dressing gown. And was 1t this
| innocent and beautiful being who was doomed
to wrthe beneath the torture and Disagreement
! of the operating knife My heart ached. A
decanter of port wine and some glasses were
| nlaced on the table near the window she beck