The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-11-05

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just brought in patient, and some
other spectators had pushed their way
in out of curiosity.
"Just happened outside, sir; knocked
down by q runaway cab, sir"
''Lost lot of blood; 'fraid it's bad
case, SIR" Thus the policemen.
'tAsk Mr.. Adams to come down at
once; and clear the ROOM" said.
1t was young fair-haired girl of
eighteen or nineteen, perfectly pale,
unconscious and almost pulseless. A
strange contrast to her rough, swarthy,
weather-beaten bearers. A deep wound
in the neck was bleeding profusely; but
on tearing open the dress. found
could stop the hemorrhage almost en-
tirely with my finger.
Adams was there Immediately; in a
minute he knew all about it, 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 to come, and
get everything ready for operation. :"
And then to me: ''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
tastefully, though not extensively,
dressed. Her features were exceeding
ly regular and pretty, and when the
color was in her face she must have
possessed very considerable share of
good looks. Nothing but purse and q
handkerchief were found in her pock-
ct. The former was well filled and the
latter was marked s.E. Stead" Adams
said at once that she was lady.
do not know whether it ever hap
pened before at St. Michaeps that on
the occurrence of sudden emergency
no one of the surgical staff was at hand.
Strange to say. it happened so tonight.
Sir Carver Smith and three of the as
sistant-surgeons lived close to the hos
pital; but in five minutes the messen-
ger returned with the news that Sir
Carver had been called to some aristo-
cratic celebrity at the West End, who
had met with an accident, and had
taken one of the assistant-surgeon
with him. The second was out of
town; and the third, who had been left
to act in emergencies, had been taken
suddenly i'll.
We had been discussing the case,
and Offering advice upon it with all that
calm assurance which characterizes
embryo surgeons. But matters now
became serious. Half an hour would
suffice to summon one of the other sur
geons; but it was plain that something
must be done at once. We all looked
at 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 inflict any
details upon myreaders, but will simply
say that the sharp end of a broken shaft
had made a narrow deep cash in the
root of the neck, and had wounded
large artery. The operation contem-
plated afforded almost the only chance
of life; and to delay it any longer would,
Adams said, be throwing that chance
away. 1t was an operation of the high
est difficulty and danger under the
present condition of the parts; and
could its performance have been antici-
pated the theater would have been
crowded with spectators from all the
hospitals in London. And here was a
young surgeon of twenty-five, called
upon at few minutes notice, to un-
dertake what many long-experienced
surgeon might hesitate to attempt;
for it was impossible to perform it
without much additional loss of blood;
and it was not at all improbable that the
patient might not survive the operation,
to say nothing of after-dangers.
Adams carefully explained to the
other house-surgeons what assistance |
they would have to give him; and when
the patient was ready, commenced at |
once. Perfect silence reigned, broken
only at intervals by word from the
operator; but, indeed, he had little need /
to speak, for we were we'll drilled at St. |
and everything he needed
was put into his hand almost before he
asked for it. think can still see that
quiet, eager group of young men under
The brilliant gaslight. standing around
The pallid, slumbering, unconscious girl;
md in the center the young surgeon,
,ool, collected, with steady hand, with
,ut hurry, without hesitation, doing his
work. have witnessed many of the
most brilliant operators in England. and
If course have seen Adams himself
many times in that theater in later
7ears; but 1 think I never saw that
lights operation surpassed either by
himself or by any one else. A special
demand sometimes calls forth special
powers and acts almost like an inspira-
ion; and so it seemed now.
In short time it was done. and sue
done; and the patient was
.arried away to quiet ward, where
he was duly cared for by the nurse in