Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-05-16
A TOUCHING scH IN.

AOONk0kNH UCB
I:was converting, not long since, with
. returned volunteer. Il ~as 10 the hos.
pital % nurse, for a long time." said hs,
""and assisted in taking OF limb, and dres.
sing oil sorts Of wounds, but tho hardest
thing I ever did was to take my thunbs
of q mans !eg. "Ah!" said !, show wss
that" Then he told me:
IL II was 4 young man Who had q ssyers
wound in the tish, The b>ll. passed COM
pletely through and amputation was nece,.
sary. The limb was cut of close up 70 the
body, the arteries tshesup, and he seemed
TO be doing WE'LL subsequently, one Of the
small arteries sioughed Of. An inei,ion
was made and Il was again taken up 1T
is we'll II Is not the main artery said the
surgeon. a. he performed the operation;
be would have bled 10 death before il
could have been taken up But Charley
gos on finely and was favo.ite With 10
all. II was passing through the wsrd, one
night, about midnight, when suddenly, ss
/ was passing Chsrley's bed, hs spoke 10
me; Il, my leg is bleeding again I
threw bsek the bed clothes, ai,d the blood
spirited lin the uir. The main artery had
sloughed eAL." >."..
"F'ortuuately I knew jus. what 10 do,
aud in an instant had pressed my thumb
on the place aud stopped the bleeding. II
wss SO close to the body that there was
barely room for my thumb, but succeed
ed in keeping it there, and, arousing one
Of the convaleseente, sent him for The sur.
'geon, who came in on run. 4 am 30
thankful H., said he,' as he saw me,
that you we're up, and knew what 10 do.
for be must have bled to death beforeI
could have got here a..
b. "Bot, on an examination Of tho case he
looked exceedingly serious, and sent out
for other surgeons. All came Who were
within reach, md . Insulation was had
over the poor fellow. Oae conclusion VA,
reached by all There was no place to
work cave the spot whore my thumb was
placed; they could not work under my
thuns, and If moved il he would bleed
to death before the Artery could be taken
up. There vas 40 way to save bis life.
t. "Poor Charley! lie waa very caln when
they told him, aud requested tn st his bro.
ther, who vas in the same hospital, might
be called up. He came and 81. down BY
the bedside, and for three hours stood,
and BY the pressure Of my thumb KEEP. up
the life Of Charley, while the brothers hAd
their last conversation on earth. It WAS
. strange place for me to be in, to feel
that l held lhe life Of fellow mortal in
my hands, as it were, and stranger yet, to
feel that an act Of mine must cause that
life to depart. Loving the poor fellow as
did, it was hard thought, but there was
no alternative.
"The last words we're spoken. Charley
had arranged all his business affairs, and
sent tender messages to absent ones, who
little dreamed...hov near their loved one
stood to the grave. The tears filled my
eyes more than once 40 listened to those
parting words. All were sad, and be
turned to me. Now, H, guess you
had bst,er take Of your thumb oh,
Charley how can I 2 said |. But il must
be. you know" he replied cheerfuAy. Il
thank you very much for your kindness,
and now, good bye
"Hs torned away bis head, l raised m
thumb, once more the life current gushsd
forth. aud ia three minutes poor Cha,ley
WAS dead"