The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-12-22


an inspiration and so it SCENE,
now.
In short time it was done an,
successfully done and the patien
was carried away to a quiet ward
where she was duly cared for by tn
nurse in charge, and Sir Carve
Smith, who came later on. ! thinl
/ Adams stayed up all night.
! Our miscellaneous entertainment
/ did not come of, but we scarcely re
GREETED the change of programme
In a place where accidents are hour
/ ly and operations daily occurrences
one more or less seldom creates
much excitment and when | 90 or
to say that tins ease excited more
interest among the residents anC
non-residents than almost any 9TH
er case l ever saw in the hospital, ]
wish you to clearly understand that
this fact vas due entirely to the ex.
treme professional interest of the tht
case, and the great enthusiasm OF
st. Michael's men for the study OF
surgery. At the same time | may
state, although not particularly
bearing on the question, that the pa
tlent vas an uncommoniy pretty
girl and day after day passed 10y
without any light shed on the ques-
ton as to who she was and whence
she camc-circumstances quite suf-
ficient to excite in mind not pre-
occupied with such matters as bur-
den the intellect of the average med
zeal student, the liveliest interest
and curiosity.
After the operation, she was at
first to i'll too be interrogated and
when she got a little better, she de
clined to give any information at
any rate none could be obtained
from her. Perhaps she was a little
queer" with fcverish or hysterical
excitement.
At the expirations of two days |
went in 10 assist with the dressing
She was very grateful for everything
done for her, and bore her pain very
well. For a 'ong time she was in a
very critical condition. As the Gu
phonious phrase of the young pro-
iession went. she had a very close
shave of ii. At the end Of three
weeks, however, she was in very
smoothe water and for the first
time some OF the clinical class went
in with Sir Carver to see the case.
He had hitherto said nothing Oh the
subject OF the operation. He was a
man Of few words but one word Of
praise or blame from him was ney-
or forgotten by any of US Turning
to US from the patient, he said
This gentlemen, is 4 case Of so-and
so - and he briefly explained it.
Then he added Nothing but the
most exceptional circumstances
could justify a house surgeon in this
hospital in undertaking an opera
tion of such importance. In this
case those exceptional circumstance
es existed. The operation IS one Of
great difficulty and rarity. l nave
once,-many years ago, performed
1t myself, and the patient died. Had
my patient recovered, such a re-
recovery would then, | believe, have
been without precedent. But the
to myself OF having per-
formed the first successful operation,
would not have been greater than Is
my qualification now at having un-
der my care a case which will, | be-
lieye, recover, and whose recovery
will be due without doubt to the
prompt and skillful action of a st.
5 student, my OWN house
surgeon, Mr. Adams.
Strong for Carver and good for
Adams WAS the general comment.
Adams pretended to be writing
notes but there was not one OF Us
who would not readily have suffered
''ploughing" in our final collese" to
gain such a word from Carver
Smith.
And now, my fair readers, if you
will turn to the clinical report OF
this celebrated case in the pages OF
the LaRcet, somewhere about March,
IS, you will find it stated that
after this point the case presents
no features OF special interest con-
was rapid, and the pa
tient was discharged cured on the
forty-seventh day after admission.
| therefore give you fair notice that
you may lay down this record here
and not read any further, unless
you like.
Yes ; she recovered rapidly; and
prettier and prettier she grew as she
got better. She talked very little,
and said nothing at all to help her
Inquiry was fruit
less, even though the case got into
the newspapers. The interest among
the students increased daily. 1t
was reported that she was an heires-
who had quarrelled with her guradi-
an that Adams was madly in love
with her that she was waiting for
him to propose, and then would
ofl-hand that Adams knew
all about her, but kept it snug And
the men got To chatting him in a mild
sort of a way, wanting to know the
state of the heart" But Adams
was impenetrable. Personally, | am
inclined 70 think that whatever the
condition Of his patients heart
might be, he WAS little affected in
that region. She was evidently very
fond OF him, and liked no one but
him to dress the wound. Still the
mystery increased.
At last one afternoon | was sitting
in Adams room in a leisure interval,
when lady's card was brought in.
1t had a deep black border, and
bore the inscription Mrs. Stead,
The Cedars." She wished to see Mr.. !
Adams. Immediately afterwards
the lady was shown in. Adams mo-
toned me to stay. She was fine,
tall woman of fifty. dressed in deep
with hair just turning
gray, firm mouth, soft, keen, gray
eyes, and a face combining intellect
and kindness.
Have | the pleasure of speaking
TO Mr.. Adams ?" she said.
He howed