Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-03-08

was nfm IN my reSol0tlon not 10 90 any,
thing more for the patient until DR.. S..
came, they had to submit wished to
make call Of importance IN the neighbor-
hood and proposed going, to be back by
the time DIR. S. arrived; but the friends OF
the sick man would not suffer me to leave
the room.
When DR.. S. came we conversed aside
for few minutes, and gave him my views
of the case, and stated what Ihad done and
why had done it. We then proceeded to
the bedside of our patient; there were still
no signs of approaching Consciousness
Don't you think his head must be shaved
and blistered,n asked the wife anxiously.
DIR. S. thought q moment and then SAID,
eyes, by all means send for barber, and
also for fresh fly blister, four inches by
nine"
looked into the face Of DR.. S. with sur
prise it was perfectly grave and earnest.
| hunted to him my doubt of the good that
mode of treatment would do; but he spoke
confidently Of the result, and sald that it
would not only cure the disease, but he be-
lieved take away the predisposition thereto,
with which Mr.. H was affected to a
high degree.
The barber came. The head of H
was shaved, and Dr. S. applied the blister
with his own hands, which completely COW
cred the scalp from forehead to occiput.-
"Let it remain on for two hours, and then
make use of the ordinary DRESSING" said
DR.. S. eff he should not recover during
the action of the blister, don't feel uneasy
senslbility will be restored soon after"
| did not call again, but heard from DR.
S. the result. After we left the friend;
stood anxiouSly around the bed upon which
the sick man lay; bu- though the blister
began TO draw, no signs of returning con.
sciousness showed themselves, further than
an occasional low moan or an uneasy toss
inc of the arms. For full two hours the
burning plaster parched the tender skin ol
H---'s shorn head, and was then remov'
ed it had done good service. Dressing:
were applied, repeated and repeated again
but still the sick man lay in a stupor. "l
has done no good hadn't we better sent
for the doctor :" suggested the wife.
Just then the eyes Of H opened anc
he looked with half stupid surprise from
face to face of the anxious group that sur
rounded the bed. "What in the mischief
is the matter? :" he at length said. At the
same time, feeling strange sensation abou
his head, he placed his hand rather heavily
thereon. "Heavens aud earth !" (he was
now fully in his senses.) "Heavens and
earth. what ails nv head ;" "For mercy's
sake keep quiet" said the wife, the glad
tears gushing over her face. 'You have
been very i'll; there, there now" and she
spoke soothlngly, "don't say word, but
he very still.' "But my head What's
the matter with my head? 1t feels as il
scalded. Where's my hair? Heavens and
earth Sarah,l don't understand this. And
my arm, what's my arm tied up in this way
for :" ''Be quiet, my dear husband, and
III explain it all Oh, be very quiet; your
life depends upon it."
Mr.. H sank back upon the pillow
from which he had risen, and closed his
eyes to think. He put his hand to his head
and felt it tenderly all over, from temple to
temple. and from nape to forehead. 'ls ii
a blister?" he atlength asked, Eyes, dear
you have been very i'll we feared for your
life, " said Mrs. H, -,affectionately there
have been two physicians in attendance p
H closed his eyes again; his lips
moved. Those nearest were not much ed
flied by the whispered words that issued
therefrom. They would have sounded ve-
ry strangely in church or to ears polite
and refined. After this he Law for some
time quiet. Threatened with apopleXy, !
supposed he said interrogatively. "Yes,
DEAR" replied his wife. 81 found you ly-
ing insensible upon the floor, on happening
to come into your room. 1t was most prov
identIal that l discovered you when | did,
or YOU would certainly have died."
IL shut his eyes and muttered some
thing with an air of impatience but its
meaning was not understood. Finding him
out of danger, 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 me up in this way Pm laid up for
a week or two, and all for nothing
sIt was to save your life, dear"
''Save the mischief!'
"H-u-s-h there do for mercv's sake be
quiet; everything depends upon it,"
With gesture ofimpatience, H shut
his eyes teeth, and hands, and lay perfect
ly still for some minutes. Then he turned
his face to the wall muttering in low, pet
ulent voice, too bad, too bad'
had not erred IN my first and last i'm
preston of HIS disease neither had
DR.. s., although he used very extraordi-
nary mode of treatment.
The facts of the case were these H
had weakness he could not taste wine
nor strong drink without being tempted in
to excess. Both himself and friends were
grieved and mortified at this and, they, by
admopition, and he, by good resolutions,
tried to bring about reform; but to see
was TO taste, and to taste was to fall. At
last his friends urged him to Slut himself
up at home for certain time, and see lfto-
tai abstinence would not give him strength.
He got on pretty well for a few days, par
ticularly so as his coachman kept we'll
filled bottle for him in the carriage house.
to which he not unfrequenty resorted but
a too ardent devotion TO this bottle brought
on the supposed apoplexy. Dr. S. was
right in his mode Of treating the disease
after all, and did not err in supposing that
it would reach the pre-disposition. The
cure was efectual.
H kept quiet on The subject, ,and bore
his shaved head upon his shoulders with
as much philosophy as he could muster
A wig, after the sores made by the blister
Disappeared concealed the barber's work
until his own hair grew again. He never
ventured upon wine or brandy for tear OF
ananIovu LNLnn thn truth leaked out as