Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-11-10
A REALLY GOOD CASE.

Every one knows that St. Michaert
as we shall take the liberty of calling il
is the largest aud most celebrated of til
London hospitals. 1t is Situated quit
III the heart of the city, and is abou
equldlstant from London Bridge, West
minister, Cover street, Smith6eld, an
Nhltechapel. I was student there
and there the happiest days of my ift
wese passed. And now to my story.
\ large number of the students ho,
gone down for the short Christmas yaca
ton, and 1 should have gone also, bu
was just then 'dresser" to Carve
Smith, and could not leave town; more
over, 1t was my week Of residence.
must beg you to remem Der, what is per
haps but little understood by the gener
al public, that large part Of the watch
ing and care, and a certain proportion
also of the treatment of hospital patients
devojve upon assistants selected from
the senior students. Some of the less
important appointments, such rs the
,'dresserships," are held by every stu
dent in turn; but the more responsible
offices, some Of which require twelve
months residence in the hospital, car
ouly be gained by few men each year;
and for these appointments, which are
esteemed positions Of great trust, ana
honor, and which are exceedingly yalua.
BILE as stepping-stones to professional
success, there is very keen competition.
On the surgical side Of the hospital, each
OF the four visiting surgeons had resi-.
dent house-surgeon; and to be Sir Car
yer Smiths oh. S." was one of the
highest ambitions of est. Mike" fol
Sir Carver was at that time of the lead
ing English surgeons.
\ man named George Adams held the
post at this time; and as he is the hero
of my story, so far as I have hero, I
will just say word about him, He
was one of those men that we occasional
ly meet with, who seem to stand head
and shoulders above their fellows-very
quiet and reserved, and when he choose,
quite inscrutable. No one knew where
he came from. But his very great ability,
his calmness in all emergencies-I never
saw him discomposed but once-his ma
ture judgment, and his great kindness,
won him the respect alike of the stu
dents, the nursing staff and the sur
geons. Under him were four dressers,
irnior-men, who assisted in the hospital
'lnder his direction. [ was one of them,
Each week one Of us in turn resided in
the hospital; and, as I said, Christmas
week fell to my turn, and that is how l
came to spend Christmas in St. Michael's,
l ought to add that there were four as
sistant surgeons to the hospital: but
their care was over the out-patient de-
partment, and it was only in the absence
OF the visiting surgeons that they had
any duty in the wards.
Well, it was Christmas night, and our
work for the dry was done, except some
late visits to the wards by -and-by; and
OF course any casualties that might turn
up. But Christmas day is unusually
pretty slack III that respect. It is medi-
cal, instead OF surgical casualties that
Christmas day produces We got up, in
honor of the day, little entertainment
IN an empty ward, for any of the hospi-
tai inmates who cared to attend and
were able to do SO.
we had famous programme. One or
two OF our residents could play and sing
well; another had curious facility in
whlstling to the piano; another was an
amateur ventriloqrist and prestidigita-
teur; and fancy there was also some
Rotations and tableaux to come off.
Also, there was one Of the patients, an
old sailor, who could sing, in a grand,
rich stentorian baritone and bring down
the house. Our chairman-Adams of
course-had just begun, and was deliv-
ing himself in a semi-serious way of
some very eloquent remarks, amidst
great applause-for nothing pleases the
lower classes better than few oratorical
tlourishes-when "tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
tinkle," went small, high-pitched. i'm
perio'ls bell. It was the accident-bell!
Oh, ye lay mortals, ye little know how
the social and domestic joys of a medical
man are at the mercy of bell! We in
vite our friends to tea, we welcome them,
ind anticipate pleasant evening, and
there goes the bell! We comeh home tired
and wet, change boots for slippers, and
get comfortable by the Preside, and
there goes the bell! We turn into bed
On cold night, and just get warm and
snug when-there goes the bell! My
bel-experiences began that night at st.
and I shall not soon forget it.
1t was Sir Carver's "taking-in week."
and his assistants had to attend to the !
accidents. Adams nodded to me; and |
off I went to investigate, knowing that it
might be anything from a cut finger to a
railway smash. I found scene of con-
siderable excitement in the accident
room. Twopolicemen, aided by a cross
and cabman, had just
brought in a patient, and some other
spectators had pushed their way in out
Of curiosity.
"Just happened outside, sir; knocked
lowl by a runaway cab, sir.''
'Lost lot Of blood; 'fraid it's bad
ease, sir Thus the policemen.
"Ask Mr.. Adams to come down at
,nce; and clear the room," said.
1t was a young, falr-haired girl of eigh- |
teen or nineteen, perfectly pale, uncon-
5cious, and almost pulseless, "a strange
contrast to her rough, swarthy, weather
b. aten. bearers. A deep wound in the i
neck was bleeding profusely; but on |,
tearing open the dress, L found I could
stop the hemorrhage almost entirely |
with my finger.
Adams was; there Immediately: in q |
knew all about it, and had
settled his course Of action. Quietly he:
said: "Send for Sir Carver. Take her
TO the theatre the operating-room1 at
once. Ask the other men to come, and /
get everything ready for OPERATION"
And then to me "keep up steady pres
sure, and don't take your finger away
for an instant"
Nothing could be found out concern
ng her. No one was with her when she
vas struck down. She was very taste
ully, though not extensively dressed. /
Her features were exceedingly regular
md pretty, and when the color was in
Ter face she must have possessed very
considerable share of good; looks. Moth |;
ng but purse and handkerchief we're
ound in her pocket. The former was
veil filled and the latter was marked ri.
steal" Adams said at once that she was
I do not know whether It. ever happen
d before at st. Michaelis that. 81 the
occurrence of sudden emergency, no
me of the surgical staff was at hand.
strange to say, it happened so tonight. [
Sir Carver Smith and three Of the assist
mt surgeons lived close to the hospital:
tut IN five minutes the messenger re-