The Magnolia gazette., 1880-07-30
lis N nElrng

One frequently hears, nowadays, u
the injection Of medicine INTO the veins
IL means Of hypodermic syringe, d
one OF the new-iashioned modes of cure.
Ny own experience il the matter
limited az it Is, may be useful a.
warning both to physicians and suffer.
ers, and it may be interesting, first, ID
cause it is real secondly, as we must
die some time or other, / suppose most
of us wonder nov ana then how IL viii
feel Now, if what / went through was
not death, it was at least 30 near it tlfat
~ far as physcnl sensation went il was
practically the same thing.
bad been in for some time, suffering
from frequent returns Of severe pains,
which the doctors thought might be
rheumatic, or ne,iralgic, or might IL
something else. Al any rate, they could
not hit upon the medicines either to re-
y lieve these pains on to prevent their
recurrence. Meanwhile, they were ex-
lperimentng, and was getting weak
tivend ease me Of my misery, il even only
~ Mr. time. in hopes TINT nature would
,naa m"s ather a little strength ana perhaps
ganfcceed in doing what the doctors had
said iled in--curing me
paaig | had a great objection 10 taking
oUno '' o,oium, on account Of its well-llnown IN
,rious effects. and hnd borne i great
deal of pain rather than take it, The
doctors, however, overcamc my obiec-
tions by assuring me that the injection
of morphine under the skin was not at
tended with the same injury 70 the CON
sttution, and was usually more efica-
cions in cases like mine than any other
way Of taking tile drug
Accordingly, l was furnished with a
verysmall syringe which would hold inst
the right dose, TO the end Of which was
attached a sharp-pointed gold tube about
the size Of sailors needle small
bottle of morphine was also provided,
and promised faithfully TO use it ac-
cording to directions on the return II
very anxious TO try it then and there
himself, but ~ 1T the time Of his visit
was enjoying an interval Of ease, I
would not consent TO this, feeling conf
dent-as, indeed, he himself did--of my
capacity to administer it, and being
without anxiety as to the result.
That night, before going to bed, sew.
eral severe twinges, which had been at
me for an hour or more, gave unmistak-
able warning OF another night of sleep
less torment, unless could find relief
somewhere. OF course / thought Of the
little syringe If 1 had had any appre-
tensions about the effects, certainly
should have had some assistance at
hand; but / am an mimaginative indi-
vidual, taking things as they come, SO /
said goodnight, went to my room and
locked the door as usual. When my
preparations for the night were COM
plete l took my new friend out of the
pretty little morocco case and filed the
syringe only about two-thirds full Of the
solution, for such were the doctors
orders, as had never previously taken
morphine in any way it is to this pre-
caution probably owe my life. Then,
according to instruction, I pinched up
piece Of the calf Of my leg tightly be-
tween the finger and thumb of my left
hand, inserted the point of the tube nm
der the skin with a dexterity which l
remember pleased me at the time, as
thought what slSillful surgeon might
have been lost to suffering humanity bv
the untoward circumstances of my early
life, aud gently introduced into my sys-
tenn the magic fluid which was to relieve
me of all my suffering. 1t did it with a
vengeance. andwith unexpectedrapidity,
too.
The frat sensation was of something
not belonging to me crawling under my
SKIN, and mounting rapidly up my back
~ bone, spreading thence all over nv body
as 1t vent This was not ss all painful