The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-11-05

other spectators had pushed their way
In out of curiosity.
"Just happened outside. sir; knocked
down by a runaway cab. SIR"
lost q lot Of blood; 'fraid it's a bad
case, sir" Thus the policemen.
ASK MIR. Adams TO come down at
once; and clear the ROOM" l said.
IL was n young f~air-haired girl Of
eighteen or nineteen. perfectly pale.
unconscious and almost pulseless. A
strange contrast 10 her rough. swarthy,
weather-beaten bearers. A deep wound
in the neck was bleeding profusely; but
on tearing open the dress. 1 found /
could stop the hemorrhage almost n
tirely with my finger.
Adams was there Immediately; in a
minute he knew all about il. and had
settled his course Of action. Quietly
he said: Send for Sir Carver. Take
her to the theater (operating-room) at
once. Ask the other men 10 come, and
get everything ready for operation
And then tome: keep up steady press
ure. and don't take your finger away
for an instant"
Nothing could be found out concern
ing her. No one was with her when
she was struck down. She was very
t~astefully. though not extensively.
dressed. Her features were exceeding
~ regular and pretty, and when the
color was in her face she must have
possessed n very considerable share Of
good looks. Nothing but a purse and a
handkerchief were found in her pock-
ct The former was well filed and the
I.rf.r xr-.r ...~I~.I al N. .-n
said AT once that she was a lady.
i do not know whether 1t ever hap
pened before at ST. Michaers that on
the occurrence Of a sudden emergency
no n Of the surgical staff was at hand.
Strange to say. il happened so tonight.
Sir Carver Smith and three Of the as
sistant-surgeons lived close to the hos
pital; but in tive minutes the messen-
ger returned with the news that Sir
Carver had been called 10 some aristo-
cratic celebrity az the West End. who
had met with an accident, and had
taken n Of the Neutrality-suspicious.
with him. The second wa out of
town: and the third. who had been left
TO act in emergencies, had been taken
suddenly i'll.
w had been discussing the case.
and Offering advice upon il with all that
calm assurance which characterizes
embryo surgeons. But matters now
became serious. Half an hour would
suffice 10 summon one of the other sur
geons: but IL was plain that something
must be done AT once We all looked
N Adams, who had said very little hith-
erto. but had gone on making every
thing ready. He simply said: Begin
to give chloroform; ! am going to op-
crate"
What are you going to do?" we
asked.
He told Us: but / will not inlet n
details unon myreaders, but will simply
say that the sharp end Of a broken shaft
had made Z narrow deep cash in the
root OF The neck. and had wounded a
large artery. The operation contem-
plated afforded almost the only chance
of life; and 10 delay ii any longer would.
Adams said. be throwing that chance
away. II was an operation Of the high
est difficulty and danger under the
present condition of the parts: and
could is performance have been antici-
pafed the thcater would have been
NIOMuFM WIN -NENAItVI- HUN "a liz
hospitals in London. And here was a
Young surgeon Of twenty-five. called
upon nj a few minutes notice. to un-
dertakc what many a long-cxperienccd
surgeon might hesitate 10 attempt;
for il was impossible to perform it
without much additional loss Of blood;
and il was not nj all improbable that the
patient might no survive the operation.
10 say nothing 81 after-dangcrs.
Adams carefully explained TO the
other house-surgeons what assistance
they would have 70 give him; and when
the patient was ready. commenced az
once. Perfect silence reigncd. broken
only nj intervals hy a word from the
operator: but. indeed, he had little need
To speak. for we were well drilled at st.
Michael's. and everything he needed
was put into his hand almost before he
asked for il. I think l can still see that
quiet. = group Of young men under
the brilliant gaslight. standing around
the pallid. slumbering, unconscious girl;
and in the center the young surgeon.
cool. collected. with steady hand. with
out hurry. without hesitation. doing his
work. have witnessed many Of the
most brilliant operators in England. and
OF course have seen Adams himself
many times in that theater in later
years; but l think / never saw that
nights operation surpassed either by
himself or by any one else. A special
demand sometimes calls forth special
powers and acts almost like an inspira-
ton: and SO il seemed now
In = short time il was done. and sue
cessfully done; and the patient was
carried away 20 a quiet ward, where
she was duly cared for by the nurse in
charge. Adams and Sir Carver Smith.
who came later on ] think Adams
STAYED up All night.
Our miscellaneous entertainment did
not come OF; but we scarcely regretted