The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-02-12


fecis Of medicines injudiciously prescribed
in large quantities are often, believe, fatal,
when the patient would otherwise recover.
1t 50 turned out that | had acquired the
undeserved reputation Of being great ''doc-
TOT" in several Of the emigrant companies
in advance of us and in our rear, and the
three men, above noticed, who had met us,
had come for me. told them when they
applied to me that was not physician,
that had no surgical instruments and that
doubted il could be Of any service to
those who were suffering. They stated in
reply that they had heard Of me; and that
they would not be satisfied unless accom-
panied them in all haste to their encamp-
ment. | finally consented TO their urgent
demands, feeling desilous of aleviating as
far as | could, the miseries Of the sick and
disabled, which here are more dreadful than
can easily be imagined.
Making my arrangements as soon as |
could, | mounted the horse, which had been
brought for my conveyance--one Of those
hard trotters whose unelastio gait is pain
fully fatiguing 10 the rider. You are
obliged to protect yourself from the con-
cussion caused by the contact OF his feet
with the earth, by springing from the saddle
at each stride. We crossed in a few miles
a small branch shaded by some oak trees.
In the bank Of this We found a spring of
cool water. There was, however, such a
multitude Of MOSQUITOES and gnats surround
ing it, that We had but little enjoyment in its
generous supply Of refreshing waters. The
air is, in places, filled with these trouble
some insects, and the venom of their bite
is frequently seriously affective. At the
spring above alluded to, the trail recedes
from the river, and runs along under the
bluffs, which, to-day, seemed TO shut from
US every breath OF air, rendering the heat oil
the sun oppressive, almost to sutfocation.
observed that some of the bluffs which we
passed were composed Of oalcareOus rock,
and the debris below was of the same CON-
position. shot, with my pistol, while ri.
ding this morning, an antelope, at a dis
lance of one hundred and fifty yards.
After most fatiguing and eIhausting ride,
We reached the encampment TO which
had been called, about o'clock p. NJ
The man who had been sent for me, had
given no description OF the case Of fracture
other than that which has above been sta.
ted. supposed as matter Of course,
that the accident had occurred the proceed
ing day. When reached the tent of the
unfortunate family to which the boy be
lOnged, found him stretched out upon q
bench made Of planks, ready for the opera
ton which they expected | would perform
! soon learned from the mother that the &C
cident occasioning the fracture had occurred
nine days previously. That q person pro
Tossing to be a ''ooctor'' had wrapped sOms
linen loosely about the leg, and made sor
OF trough or plank box in which il hac
been confined In this condition the chile
had remained, without any dressing Of hi,
wounded limb, until last night when he call
ed to his mother and told her that he coulC
feel tcorms craicling ia his leg This, a
first, she supposed to be absurd, but the boy
insisting, an examination Of the wound fo
the first time was made, and it was discov
cred that gangrene had taken place, and III,
limb of the child was swarning with mag
gols They then Immediately despatched
Their messenger for me- | made al er
animation of the fractured limb, and aScsr
tanned that what the mother had stated wa,
correct. The limb had been badly frec
tured, and had never been bsndsged, anC
from neglect gangrene mad supervened, and
the child's leg from his foot to his knee
was in a state of putrelaclion. He was .
much enfeebled by his suTerings, that oeatt
was stamped upon his countenance, and
was satisfied that he could NOT live twenty
four hours, much less survive an operation
| 80 informed the mother, stating to her thai
to ampulate the limb would only hasten the
boys death and add to his pains while liv
ing, declining at the same time peremptori
! ly, all participation in proceeding 50 use
less and barbarous, under the circumstances
She implored me with tears and means moi
thus 10 give up her child without an effort
| told her again that all efforts to save hin
would be useless, and onl y add to the an
guish Of which he was now dying.
But this could not satisfy mothers af
lection; she could not thus yield her offspring
to the cold embrace OF death. and tomb
in the wilderness A Canadian French
man, who belonged TO this emigrating party
was present. and stated that he had former
ly been an assistant to surgeon in some
hospital, and had seen many operations o.
this nature performed, and that he would
amputate the chld's limb, if | declined do.
ing it, and the mother desired it, | could
not suppress an involuntary sbudder when
heard this proposition, the consent of the
weeping woman, and saw the preparation
made for the butchery Of the little boy
The instruments to be used were common
butcher knife, carpenters hand-saw, and
a shoe-maker's awl TO take up the arteries.
The man commenced by gashing the fssh
to the bone around the calf Of the leg, which
was in state Of purtrescence. He then
made an incision just below the knee and
commenced saving, but before he had COM
pleted the amputation Of the bone, he con-
cluded that the operation should be perform.
ed above the knee. During these demon
STATIONS the boy never uttered a groan or
a complaint, but | saw from the change in
his countenance, that he was dying. The
operator, without noticing this, proceeded to
sever the leg above the knee; a cord was
drawn around the limb, above the spot where
il was intended to sever it, so tight that it
cut through the skin into the flesh. The
knife and saw were then applied, and the