Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-07-14

er blister on the head; another his e.
mersion III no, water. suggested shat
II might be well 10 use stomach pump.
why. DoctorH asked friend Of his.
Perhaps he has taken some drug 1
replied.
Impossible, Doctor. said the wife,
He has no, been from home to-day, and
there Is no drug of any kind il the
house.
mo brandy!' I ven.ured this sugges-
sion again.
mo. Doctor! No spirits Of any kind.
nor even wine in the house.. returned
Mrs H in an offended tone.
was nos the regular family physician.
and had been called to meet the alarming
emergency, because my office happened
to be nearest,he dwelling of Mr.. IL.
Feeling my position TO be delicate one.
! suggested that the family physician be
called in.
But The delay, Doctor urged the
friends.
No harm will result from i, be assur.
ed replied.
Bus my words did not assure them;
however as | was firm in my resolution
not 10 do anything more for the paien,
until DR.. s. came. they had to sub
init. | wished to make call of impor
isnce in the neighborhood, and proposed
going. TO be back by the time Dr. s.
arrived: but the friends o: The sick man
would not suffer me TO leave the room.
When DIR. s. came. we conversed
aside for few minutes, and gave him
my views Vt the case. and stated what
had done and why had done it. We
then proceeded TO the bedside Of our pa.
uen'. There was still no signs Of ap.
preaching consciousness.
'Don't you think his head ought TO be
shaved and blis,ered" asked ,he wife,
anxiously.
Doctor s though, a moment and
then said
Yves. by all means. Send for bar.
Der and also for fresh fly blister. four
inches by nine.'
| looked into the face of DR.. S
with surprise. He wss perfectly grave
and earnest. | limited to him my doub,
Of the good that mode of ,reatmen, was
likely To do. Bu, he spoke confidently
OF the result. and said that i, would no,
only cure the disease, but, he believed.
take away The predisposi,ion thereto with
which Mr.. H was affected to high
degree.
The barber rame. The head of IL
was shaved; and DR.. s. applied th-
blister with his own hands, which coin.
ple'elv covered the scalp from forehead
To Occipu,.
Let il remain on two hours. and then
make use Of the ordinary dressing,' said
Doctor s.. 'lf he should no, recov
er during the action Of the blister, don't
feel uneasy. Sensi5isisy will be res,or
ed soon after
| did not call again. bu, heard frou
DR.. s. the result.
After we left. our friends stood anx-
iously around the bed upon which ,hr
sick man lay. bu, ,hough The blister be-
gan to draw no signs of returning con
sciousness began 10 show themselves,
further than on occasional low moan, or
an uneasy tossing of The arms. For
two full hours The burning plaster parch
ed the tender skin Of H-'s shoru
head. and was then remo,e ed. Il had
done good service. Dressing was ;heu
applied. repeated aud repeated again; bu,
still the sick man !ay in deep siupnr.
i, had done no good, Had'n, we bet
ter send for the Docsor!' suggested ,he
wife.
just then the eyes of H opened.
and he looked with half stupid surprise
from face to face Of the anxious group
that surrounded the bed.
What IN The mischief is the masser,'
he a, length said. A, the same zine
feeling strange sensation abou, h,s head
he placed his hands rather heavily there
on.
'HeaveLs and earih!' He was now
fully in his senses. 'iieavens aud earth!
what ails my head!'
For mercy's sake keep quies,' said
.he wife. The glad tears gushing over her
face, you have been very Ill There.
there now!' And che spuke so",hingly
'Don'i say . word; bu, be very snll.'
But my head! Wha, is the matter
with my head! !, feels as il scalded.
Where's my hair! Heavens and earth,
Sarah. don't understand this. And my
arm! What's my arm led up in This
way fort
BE quiet. my dear husband. and Ill
explain j, all. Oh, be very quiet. Your
lite depends upon in
Mr.. h sunk back upon the pill.
low from which he had arisen. and closed
his eyes 10 think. He pu, his hand TO
his head. and frl, j, ,eEde,ly, all over,
from semple TO semple, anc from nape to
forehead.
'lsi'a blster! he at length asked.
'ies, dear. You have heen very i'll.
We feared for your life. said Mrs. H.
atiecsiona,ely: There have oeen two
ply slclans III attendance
H closed his eyes again. His
lips moved. Those nsares, were no.
much edited by The whispered words
that issued iherefrom. They would have
seemed very strangely IN church. or 10