Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-19
A PHYSICIANS sToRY.-TREATING A CASE
ACTIVELY.

responsibility who had been discovered In his wing
Mn On 1ne noor On arriving at the house found
mrs - IN great distress Of mind
mhat IS the matter with Mr.. H. T. asked ON
eeung ms lady, who in and looking the pic-
sa ~ uiSTess " I'm afraid is apoplexy" she
phea - found him lying upon the foor where he had
70 all appearances fallen suddenly from his chair His
difficulty" !" = "''H s
went up to see my patient He had hson lstod 60,
the moor ana was now lying upon the bed Sure enough
ms lace was purple and breathing labored but somehou
inc did not Indicate apoplexy Every vein in
his head ana face was urgid and he lay perfectly stu
pd but still saw clear indications Of any aetal or
approaching congestion Of the brain
Hadn't he better be bled doctor % asked the
wiie - don know that it's necessary" replied I
think II we let him alone it will pass off in the course pf
a lew hours /" few hours! lie may die in half an
hour . don't think the case is dangerous madam"
"Apoplexy not dangerous g hardly think is apo
plexy." " Pray what de you think it is doctor?,
Mrs H looked anxiously into my face. Idelicatey
limited that might possibly have been drinking much
brandy but to this she Indignantly objected '.No,
doctor, ought to know about that, she said Depend
upon It the disease is more deeply seated am he
had better be BLEED Won't you bleed him, doctor2 A
few of blood taken from his arm may give life to
the now stagnant circulation of the blood"
Thus urged, |, after some reflection ordered bowl
and bandage, and opening vein relieved him of about
eight ounces Of blood But he lay nsensibe BEFORE
much to the distress of his poor wife, Something else
must be DONE DOCTOR she urged seeing that bleeding
had accomplished nothing g If my husband is not re-
ieyed quickly he must die
By this time several relatives and friends who had
been sent for arrived and urged upon the adoption Of
some active Of restoring the sick conscious
ness One proposed mustard plasers all his body
another blister the head, and third his immersion
IN hot water suggested thatit might be well to q
stomach pump Why, doctor?" asked Of his friends
Perhaps he has taken drug" replied Inpos-
sble DOCTOR, said the wife; he has not been from
home to-day and there is no drug in the house. .'No
brandy" / yentured this suggestion araiu enc
doctor, no spirits Of any kind, wine in the
house, returned Mrs. II, in offended tone
was not the regular family physician and had been
called IN to meet the alarming emergency because my
office happened to be nearest to the dwelling of Mr.. H.
Feeling my position to be difficult one, suggested that
the family physician had better be called But the de-
lay doctor" urged the friends Ne harm will result
from it, be assured, replied But my words did not
assure them However, as firm in my resolution
not to do any thing for the patient until Dr. came,
| they had to submit
wished to make call Of Importance in the neighbor-
hood, and proposed going to be back by the time Dr. s.
arrived; but the friends Of the sick would suffer
me to leave the room.
When DR.. s. we conversed aside for few
minutes and him my views of the case stated
what had done and why had done it. We then pro-
ceeded to the bedsdeOf patient there still
signs of approaching consciousness. Don't you think
his head must be shaved and bstered p asked the wife
anxiousy. Dr. s. thought moment, and then said,
eyes by all means; send for barber, and also for q
fresh fly blister, four inches by nine /"
looked into the face of DR.. s. with surprise it was
perfectly grave and earnest limited to him my doubt
OF the good that mode of treatment would do but he
spoke confidently of the result and said that would
only the disease but he believed take away the pre-
disposition thereto with which Mr.. H was affected to
/ q high degree.
The barber came The head of H was shaved and
Dr. S. applied the blister with his hands, which com
petey covered the scalp from forehead to occipu Let
remain on for two hours and then make of the
binary dressing" said Dr. s. "If he should not
during the action of the blister don't feel uneasy
| bility will be restored after"
did not call again. but heard from Dr. s. the result
After left the friends anxously around the bed
upon which the sick lay; but though the blister
began to draw signs Of returning consciousness show
al fhancn
uneasy tossing Of the For full hours the burn
ing plaster parched the tender skin HIS shorn head
and then removed it had done good service
ngs were applied repeated and repeated again, but still
the sick man lay in stupor. eft has done no good
hadn't we better send for the doctor w suggested the
wife.
half stupid surprise from face to face Of the anxious
group that surrounded the bed "what in the mischief
= thu snAs.@r Y he q, length said At the time
strange sensation about his head he placed his
hand rather heavily thereon Heavens and earth ~
(he was now fully in his senses Heavens and earth
what ails my head ?? " For mercy,s sake keen ouiet
said the wife, the glad gushing over her faee
have been very i'll there, there now /" and she snoLe
soothingy' don't say word, but lie very still" Bot
my head. What's the matter with my head? 1t feels
as if scalded. Where's my hair! Heavens and earth
Sarah, don't understand this. And my arm what's my
arm tied up IN this way for " "Be quiet my dear hae-
band, and I'll explain it all Oh be very quiet your
life depends upon it."
Mr. H sank back upon the pillow from which he
had rsen and closed his eyes to think He put his hand
to his head and felt it tendery all over from temple to-
temple, and from nape to forehead els 1t Ulster
he at length asked ayes dear you have been very
ILL., We feared for your life,' said Mrs. H. Affection
aely there have been two physicians il a.sndEnce
! h. closed his eyes again snps moved. Those
nearest We're not much edited oy the Whsperea words
strangely in church to polite and refined AZ
ter this he lay FOR some time quiet Threatened with
apopexy, suppose" he said interrogatvely. 'tYes,
dear, replied his wife. 81 found you lying insensble
upon the hoor on happening to into your Ii
was most prnvidental that discovered you when did
or you would certainly have died"
H shut his eyes and muttered something with
AR OF impatence bat its meaning not understood
Finding him out of daIyer friends and relatives RETIRED
and the sick man was left alone with his family.
Sarah" he said, "why IN the name of goodness did
you permit the doctors to butcher up this way I'm
laid up for n week or two, and all for nothing
I" 1t was to save your Bfe, dear"
" Save the devil"
"H-u-s-h there, do for mercys sake be quiet; every
thing depends upon it."
With gesture of impatence II - shut his eyes,
teeth, and hands, and lay perfectly still for minutes
Then he turned his face to the wall muttering in low
peulent voice. "too bad too bad"
had not erred in my first and last impression Of e
disease; neither had DR. s. although he used very ex
traordinary mode Of treatment.
The facts Of the these: IL had n weak
ness; he could not taste wine strong drink without
being tempted into Both himself and friends
were grieyed and mortified at this; and they by ado
nton and he by good resolutions tried to bring about
reforms but to to taste, and to taste was to
fall At last his friends urged him to shut himself up nj
home Tor certain time and il total abstinence would
not give him strength He got pretty well for days.
particularly so ms his coachman kept well-hed bottle
for him IN the carriage house. to which he unfre
Init tn arla "a hia hat