The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-10
TRANSMISSION OF BLOOD.
The He markabie FtesuitS al Wo
man.s RmaginitiOn.

K tSan Francisco ChToniele.l
/ About one month ago, medical gentle
man residing not far from the heart of
the city WAS hastily called upon by a
lmiddle-aged colored woman, living near
North Beach, who insisted upon the
doctors accompanying her 10 her house,
Jas her husband was dying. Taking the
physician by tho arm, she hurried him
out of his office, all the time; moaning
and crying, and beseeching the man of
medicine to hurry and save "the old
mans lifeY' fastening along, with her
hand still grasping his arm, and almost
dragging him through the principal
streets leading to her house, the
doctor and his escort attracted consider
able attention, being followedibE-a crowd
of children
The feeling Of the doctor can better be
imagined than described. Yet pity for
the poor anxious. woman, who
was cleanly and respectfully dressed,
and with the duty ,.of his vo-
cation before his mind, he. walked
quietly along. They soon arrived at the
woman's home, and climbing two pairs
of stairs, she led him into a low room,
wretchedly furnished, but neat and clean.
Near the window, on an old sofa, sat, or
rather reclined, an old man, too weak to
move about. He was pointed out to the
doctor as being the patient in question.
The physician found that the patient
was weak and in an exhausted condition,
suffering for the want Of proper food and
care. On further inquiry he found that
the woman made both ends meet by
going out and washing, or doing any
work she could get, making thereby
enough to keep them from stinting them
selves so far as regarded food,
One morning a short time ago his wife
left him in order to- go to work, expect
ing to remain away four days When
she returned she found him sick with
rheumatism, and unable to call for assist
ance, or to go out himself. He had gone
without anything to eat for almost the
entire period of her absence. Learning
of this, she hastily went out and got
some beefsteak and other viands, and
with them overfed the man So that
nothing WOULD remain on his stomach.
This state of affairs lasted for about two
days, when the man reached the period
of starvation. At this: point the doctor
was called in. Nothing could be done;
food in any shape would not remain Oh
his stomach: even brandy and milk,
given in small quantities, would distress
the patient to such an extent that feed
ing him in the ordinary manner was out
Of the question: Yet no time was to be
lost, for the condition of the man was
getting so low that his pulse became
alarmingly weak.
The doctor, wishing to try an expert
ment and also make an effort to save his
PATIENTS life, persuaded the wife to- sub
nit to the operation Of transfusing some
of her blood into the system of her hus-
band. This is an operation rarely at
tempted by physician, since it is a diff
cult one and attended with considerable,
danger. The operation is performed by
inserting tube into the veins of per-
son and allowing the blood to pass through
the tube into the veins Of the patient.
The process demands the greatest care
and Judgment, as we'll as nieety, as if the
blood in its passage through the tube be-
comes cooled in the slightest degree death
will almost certainly ensue. The tube
is wrapped within a hot sponge, and
guided by a small Thermometer, the blood
is kept at certain degree, of warmth.
In this case the operation was performed
successfully, about eight ounces of blood
being taken from the woman.
Shortly after the operation the patient
was enabled to take some brandy and
milk in the tiniest doses, and he SOON
began to mend and in three weeks was
quite we'll again and able to go about his
work. But the sequel to the operation
was the strangest part Of the whole affair.
As soon as the husband had recovered
sufficiently to walk about the house, the
woman was taken sick, and finally ON
Sunday before last the same doctor was
called upon again. He visited tae woman,
who said her appetite was bad; she could
not sleep, and her illness was troubling
her 80 that she could do nothing but
lounge about the house and neglect, her
work. The doctor left her, first prescrib-
ing tonic and directing her to partake
of nourishing food, and then dismissed
the case from his mind, supposing that
she had recovered under his prescription.
A few days ago he was again called to-
visit the woman, who received him in a
mysterious manrer. Her face and form
had grown thinner since his last visit,
and he also remarked the distressed ex-
preston of the face. She took him aside
and whispered to him that she could not
rest day or night, aud that she had found
the reason why. II tell you, Doctor, it's
that blood of mine the old man is carry
ing ahout inside Of him; and, Doctor,
when that old man comes back, L want
you to give me my blood back" The
Doctor was astounded at this, and seeing
that the woman would not be appeased
unless ha complied with her request,
he Left her and promised to re-
turn the next day, first inform
ing her Of the dangers of the opera
tion, and that it was resorted to only in
the most urgent cases of necessity. She
would hear of no. explanations, but de-
manded that the; operation, be gone
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