Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-08-20
The wounded Victims of the Collision.

! The Wounded Victims of the Collision.
The following extract from letter Of Paw
tueket correspondent of the N. Y. Tribune, is well
worth any mans perusa. 1t shows, most forciby,
the criminal absurdity universally practiced, of
pouring ardent spirit indscriminately down the
throat of every one who meets with an accident,
under the mistaken idea that it is a universal
panacea for the ills that flesh is heir to:
There is one thing that | wish to call attention
10, in connection with the accident viz: the uni
versal opinion that brandy was the one thing me-
cessary TO alleviate the suferings of the injured
believe there was but one instance, among those
who were brought to this town, in which it was
not gwen freely. Let me state the case of Moses
Bolton, who died Friday night He was in
jured mainly about The legs When he was
taken from the ruins, he was placed in the cars,
with others, TO bring TO this place. He sat upon
the seat conversed freely about his situation, said
he supposed that be should lose both his legs but
seemed to think that he could stand the operation
and get along. He asked frequently for water,
and said he was parched with thirst. AS soon as
he got 10 the depot, instead of water, they gave
him brandy; and one Of the gentlemen who as
sisted TO bring him from the freight house to the
place where he died, says that they fairly forced
brandy and morphine down, even pryng his teeth
open 10 make him take it | know that he had
1t through the day, and nearly up to the time of
his DEATH Three hours before he died. | saw il
administered twice. Although this is Maine
Law town, and no liquor sold openly vet it was
wonderful to see hov quick the liquor was
brought forth, and from variety of sources
When entered the Hall at Valley Falls, where
were lying nine dead, mangled bodies, / heard
somebody ask Mr. Pratt, deputy sheriff who had
charge Of the place, if there was anything TO
drink there He replied that theIe was some wa
ter IN The pail, and something stronger up stairs
II wanted. What that stronger was, you can
Judge as well as anybody. Now, as an opposite.
let me give you cold water case, which is so
gratifying In its results, as to make some of our
physicians open their eyes little. 1t is the case
Of Steward Winslow; and if you will take the
trouble to look, you will find that he was teeo
graphed all over the country ''no hope He was
among The first that marked down as sure to
die. Immediately after the accident he was
taken in charge by DIR Taber, who. for six wears,
was regular practitioner of the old school, and
who has recently dropped that Practice and
adopted Hydropnlhy. He brought his patient
with the TEST of the wounded, to the station house
in this town. and while there working over him to
keep him alive until he could be removed 10 some
comfortable quarter, he subjected to all II an
ner OF I'll renarks-nOt TO say insults Six times,
different individuals came with brandy, NOR
phene, and laudanum, and tried to administer it.
against the Doctors express commands. One
physician, more en'erprsing than the rest, saur-
ated his handkerchief with chloroform, and clap
ped it to his face but it did not stay there Dir.
Cleaveland, one of our town physicians, was ev-
ldentIy very much dispeased with the treatment
poor Wlnslow was receiving He stated public
ly, before the wounded were removed, and The
building full Of excited and agonized friends and
spectators, that Taber was numbering the man.
DIR Taber very mildly but firmly replied that he
had IN his pocket license to kill, as well as the
rest OF them;-that he had practiced under it six
years, and that he now had license to cure and
1t was bis intention to treat his patient under the
last one After he got his patient removed with
the rest, he compelled to watch him. to keep
some ofthem from administering drugs 10 him, so
universal was the feeling that it was the only
thing that would him. WinsIow, at this
present time, stands a better chance than many,
and about as good chance as the best. His
head was very badly bruised and b oxen, and his
whole body more or less marked. saw him
in bath yesterday, and conversed with him; he
is RATIONAL and says if he was going through the
same thing again, he would adopt the same course
of treatment Everybody here is perfectly de-
lighted with the results Of this case. Three
tHNSio III cuiu NdteI, lilsiue anu OutSlQGI Dr
Cleayeland says to-day, that the case was a very
mild one Was it mild one? DrTaber offered
to take the case poor Bolton, instead of WINS
low, when the accident first occurred; if it was
such mild one, why did they moi exchanged
Bolton had his Winslow knew nothing
until Saturday, when he had begun TO feel ime
beneficial effects Of his treatment. Donot under
stand rue as wishing to cast any reProach upon
our physicians; they behaved nobly. and did ev-
erythlng in their power, not only from this town,
but from the surrounding villages and the city of
Providence One from Philadelphia, DR. Page,
who visit 10 Providence, took hold right
maniully, and did good service One thing is
certain, that they got together on Saturday, and
decided that The course of treatment the day be-
fore, was wrong-too much stimulus; and have
since adopted different course. have gwen
you these facts in as short a space as l could
do with them as You think best