Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-11-03
Taking Chloroform.

incident witnessed by physician attached to
one of the country hospitals, England. The
man was hard drinker Of spirits, and a dose
Of chloroform had been administered to him.
which, from its amount, would have placed
most persons in deep sleep, but in his case
only deprived him Of sensation, and excited
the phantasm of drunken dream:
Imagine lofty semicircular apartment,
lighted from above, with large space rallied
off on the ground, and rallied steps in tiers.
sweeping half round, and af1ording standing
room for more than a haadred spectators,
principally students, who. conversng in low
tones, are awaiting the expected operation.-
In the centre Of the open space is strong
white sheet, and beneath its foot is wooden
tray, thickly strewn with yellow sand On
another table, also covered with white cloth,
are arranged, in perfect order, numerous keen
and formidable-looking instruments, the edge
of which, long, sword like, double-edged
knife-a gentleman with his cuffs turned up,
IS trying, by shaving off little bits Of Gu
tlcle from the palm Of his hand, and two
or three assistants are quietly threading nee
dies, and making other preparations The
gentleman with the knife being satisfied as TO
its condition, gives glance round, and seeing
every thing in perfect readiness, mods, and
dresser leaves the room After minute or
two, shuffling is heard, the folding doors are
thrown open, and strong, surly-looking, bull
headed navvy," whose leg has been smashed
by railway accident is borne in and gently
placed on the table. His face is damp and
pale, he casts an anXious-eager look around,
then with shudder closes his eyes, and down
on his back. The chloroform apparatus is
now applied to his mouth, and dead silence
marks the general expectancy The mans
face fushes-he struggles, and some mufled
eXclamations are heard In a minute or two
more the gentleman who has charge Of the
chloroform examines his eyes, touches the eye
ball-the lids wink not, the operator steps for
ward, and In a trice the limb is transfXed with
the long bistoury.
Some intelligence now animates the pa
TENTS face, which bears look>of drunken
jollity. Ia ha ha Capital = he shouts,
evidently in Imagination with his boon COM
panions, 'a jolly good song, and jolly well
sung always knowed Jem was good 'un
to chant! | sing dash my wig if aint as
husky as broken-winded 'os. Well, if l
muSt t rvuct co baro rronS
BY this time the bone has been barred, and
the operator saws, while the patient shouts
lis my delight o moonlight night '-
whose that treading on my toe! None o.
your tricks, Jem! Hold your jaw, will you :
Who can sing when you are making such a
blessed rowl Toll-de-rol-loll Come, gle
us drop, will ye! What drunk it all e.
Ye greedy beggars I'll fight the best man
among We for half farden!' and straigIltway
he endeavors to hit out, narrowly missing the
spectacles Of gentleman in white cravat,
who steps hastily back, and exclaims, Hold
him fast =
The leg being now separated, is placed un-
der the table, and the arteries are tied, with
some little difficulty, on account of the un-
steadiness of the patient, who, besides his pug
nacity in general, has quarrel with an i'm
aginary bulldog, which he finds it necessary
to kick out of the room. He, however, recov-
ers his good humor while the dressings are
being applied, and is borne out of the theatre
shouting, singing, and matchmaking in a
most stentorian voice. when in bed, however,
he falls asleep, and in twenty minutes, awakes
very subdued, in utter ignorance that any ope-
ration has been performed, and with only a
dim recollection of being taken into theatre,
breathing something, and feeling VERY
queer, as he expresses it.