Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-05-28
Que family Circle.
d" Our Man"

"Our Man"
They are bringing the wounded from
the wharf, some OF them have been kept in
a southern prison, and Pa says, will you
come ?
Thus, in eager tones. spake the little
daughter of Assistant Surgeon D, of
Hospital, Washington.
We responded, by joining at once the
group Of surgeons in the entrance hail.
The sufferers were brought in upon stretch
ers, and as they were carried by, the chief
surgeon ordered them to such wards as
seemed most suitable for the particular
case.
Some of the poor fellows were in fear
full condition; toes, fingers and limbs often
a mass Of corruption. We uttered kind
words to the conscious, and tried to soften
the sternness of DR.. g., the head surgeon,
by little soothing application of our own.
The hopeless cases were always assigned
to a room in the rear of the building, quite
near the dreaded dead house. This
morning it seemed to US the hopeless
ward, would receive nearly all of them ;
and just as We were thinking how hard we
must labor in order to save some little to.
ken for the absent friends, G.s voice
reached US from the upper end of the hall:
Take him to the rear, hopeless, and in a
moment more we leaned over stretcher
wherein tall, broad-shouldered man Law,
whose expression of counteDance as he
heard the surgeons words, shall never
forget.
DR.. c., who stood next to us-the
youngest surgeon in the building-turned
down the slight covering and exposed a
CHASTITY sight; once powerful leg one
mass of decaying matter. The patient
looked toward US as he saw our pitying
glaecs and exclaimed in a low tone which
rang through the hall:
Save me | have wife and FIVE chill.
dren | must not die
I'VE will do all we can hasteued to
say as the steward moved on.
Doctor, would it be possible to save
him?'
'One chance in ten thousand he an.
swered. Let US try
You forget that am only an assistant
here, and must obey orders.
l flew to DR.. G. Can we try to save
that man? asked,
Useless why spend time over such
cases when we are so crowded ? he mus
die
Let him 60 to my pet ward | urged
anywhere but among the hopeless. Please
doctor, as a special favor
'Ah, you women hamper US with your
pleadings,' he answered halfcrossly
Put him where you please only dou't ash
me to sympathize if he is soon buried
We went back to the kind hearted as
sistant, who stood with his young wife lean
ing on his arm.
will you perform the operation p
Yes; if | can get permission to do so
Then came discussion, opposition,
vote of the staff, and after much trial tn
poor fellow was carried into the amputa
ting room.
DIR. d. must take entire charge of tn
case said g., with a shrug of the should
ers. 1t is nonsensical, and L will hav
nothing to do with it.
The operation was performed in the
most sklllful manner, we were told, an
| DR.. D., said to u.s.
? IF ever prayed in my life did then
. Not one encouraged me. They voted I
please you, in my favor, and gave myse
up entirely to the work in hand and wei
on now if be will only live
Our man gained wonderfully. Nevt
t did we feed a patient on brandy and waite
with more eagerness. 6. stood by u
saying:
D The end is not yet
DR.. ID. came to request our presence
8 the dead house. ne would ike to show
4 the remains of the limb. We went out
: company with two or three surgeons, VIII
e assured us no case of the kind had ev,
|, occurred before, and DR.. D. was famou
e We looked calmly as he took it from IL
y pile in one corner, and listened in d dream
4 way to an account of the difficult
science, traverse something all Il
e time we were hearing.
re Save me; L have wife and FIVE chi
dren ; must not die.
:. Doctor said [, if he lives, you say,
d him; and that is worth living for
! You saved him. replied the DoctC
No ore else could have gained permissic
for such an operation and then and the
,e we called 'him our man.
J. He gained slowly but steadily, and '
left him to take our place as patient, on
to to hear on our recovery that our man h
II gone home to his family. If his e
should rest on this paper, he will douttle
- remember who held up the Doctors lit
j. daughter for him to kiss, because she W
1T so like his OVID.
IN As for DR.. D., we are quite sure he
IL doing good somewhere, and should he re
~ this he will learn how much he was hone
e ed for his bravery. For young prac
n toner to face the opposition of all his
D. sociates, is no triAe, but to perform di
st cult and peculiar operation, with critic
ar eyes upon one, with only one chance in
IN thousand Of saving life, is evidence of
eo noble heart as we'll as clear head
II ElectrOtyping and StereO1yping.
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