The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-12
AT THE CLINIC.
Operations Performed Under the Eyes
OF Medical .tudcnts.

Operations Performed Under the Eyes
Of Medical .tudcnts,
An outsider requires to have rather
good nerves who attends clinic. Here,
When the medical students are assembled,
those suffering from terrible maladies are
brought in and they are cured, if posi-
bic. At every clinic there are opera
! tons performed that are sometimes very
trying to the nerves of the non-profes-
! slonal onlooker. AS general thing it
Is somewhat difficult for an outsider to
obtain entrance to these demonstrations.
{ Every medical student at Ann Arbor is
| provided with colored ticket that en-
ables him to pass the sharp-eyed man at
the door, and it is impossible to get ad-
mission unless you have the permission
of the professor in charge.
A clinic at one of the principal Ger
man universities is sight that person
! is not apt to forget. In certain cases all
IN the loom, students and professors, are
dressed in robes of white linen. These
dresses are furnished and laundried by
the college, and the object seems to be
to prevent any possible chance of out
side impurities being brought into the
operating room. The walls and floor of
the room are thoroughly cleansed each
day and disinfected by some chemical
spray. American colleges do not deem
these extraordinary precautions neces-
sary, and the chances are that they are
right, as the wonderful successes of the
best American surgery show.
The operating room at Ann Arbor is
connected with the hospital and the
temperature is so carefully equalized that
there is no change in coming from the
sick bed to this room. The students are
ranged in semi circular tiers, each posi-
tion commanding a full view of the
patient and the operating surgeons.
The first case that came before the
students the day I was there was that of
man who was about to leave-cured.
He stood before them stripped to the
waist. The marks of healed incisions
were on his shoulders. He came there
unable to move his right arm. The bone
in his shoulder had been removed and the
man stood there and held up his right
hand as if to swear to the efficiency of
modern surgery. Meanwhile the dis
eased bone was being passed around
among the students. They cheered as
the fellow left, smiling over the success
of the operation.
The first operation was one that a GER
tain young lady will be thankful for
eighteen or twenty years from now.
This young lady of the future IS at pres
ent a very sweet and pretty baby
months old. One of the senior medical
class with the baby laughing
on her lap. 1t made very
touching domestic picture The lady
student might have been Howells' CDR.
Breen.' or the CDR. Zay'' of Elizabeth
Stuart Phelps. She was tall and we'll
proportioncd; wore a dark olives green
dress that fitted as it should and became
her exceedingly. Her face was more
than handsome There was an express
sion in it of skill, knowledge, firmness
and courage. l take her as typical of
the very best example of our American
lady medical students. The girl patted
the little thing on the cheek and the
baby crowed and laughed. DR.. Mac.ean
held the rosy foot of the child in his
hand and briefly explained to the stu
dents the cause and remedy of the
trouble that was apparent to all. The
two little feet were turned in toward
each other till the toes touched. They
were at right angles to natural posi-
ton, and the trouble-if unrcmedied--
would cause the child to become hope
less cripple. At signal from the doctor
a young man poured from bottle the
anaesthetic on a towel. This was spread
over the laughing face of the baby.
There was a frightened cry, a
stif1ed sob or two, then stiffness.
With careful quickness the lancet entered
the baby's ankle-once-twic
Not drop of blood was spilled. The
little feet were bandaged into their cor
rect position, with a speed and deftness
that were truly wonderful. During this
there was not sound in the room. The
first to break the silence was the baby,
whose tremulous CRY of returning con-
sciousness Just as the last bandage was
stitched showed that she thought she had
been taken a mean advantage of, just as
she wanted to crow and laugh at the lady
who held her. There was nothing re-
voting about the operation. DR.. Mac
lean has done what Shakespeare thought
impossible and had spilled no drop of
blood. When that baby takes its first
steps those chubby feet will be ready to
do their part.
A girl of twelve was next trundled in
unconscious. She lay on the wheeled
table to have a tumor taken from the
side of her face-a terrible legacy of that
dread dis sease-scarlet fever. The great
difficulty in this case was the almost un-
avoidable danger of cutting the facial
nerve, in which case one side of the girls
face would remain as if paralyzed. The
operation was performed The awaking
was to be the test. The students looked
on in breathless suspense. The doctor
touched the lips of the reviving girl with
the point of a needle. Finally the girl
gave pitiful wall that carried with
it the suspended dread with
which she had doubtless regarded the
trial she was to pass through when the
merciful an@5thetic overcame her.
Instantly murmur of appreciation
was heard. The students were quick to
catch the results of the doctors skill.
"She cries on both sides of her face
now," said the doctor. ''But she will
laugh on both sides of her face after
ward"
A big man came in with an ugly tumor
on the back of his neck.
They offered him the anesthetic, but
he waved the student aside, jocularly say
ing: ''Never take anything, thank you
swore off on New Years."
This remark was appreciated by the
poys, and remarks of ''plucky, good
grit" and so on passed among them He