Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-10-15


d
TIE OPERATING TABLE.
81.
I Phase 81 the Soldiers, E1p,ri.ne. not oft.n
ss.. !. . f t1tts 81 ..l.s 81 8. i.
- =. !, =. !, : ], = one s'. g - <'s
- A's. - sl40 t,oW
{ 8 s1s = Yso, stvoe :. : sf1pnlc
- 80 = 80 = 11en.e = to'lo" - ss ,.
:. soon = l,fs's''cap,e - wore p'ac-
= !. 800 !. 1 :. s' ~, 't<sken - Inc
p',fafy ne.u nosp'ta'. ! was taK-
:. -. enu pts "a : se1e'ener: Inc
''sa' s.oVA.u y my reslment nao
80 : , - anu : aooo 1r'en 20 o. y
u,n1. ne nrss gave me q drink OF
1850 .nu .ne.l. n@u mo carried up
= - ~ pu.a.. s.'o'es' ana 'r'eo
- - w ~ eon' ~ g'Ve tneA ~
'en'ioh 10 me az once PROBABLY 9TH
er cases were more urgent, for
thev did nothinv with mo nm.
=, .f+ar so. :.
- >1' ~ "a'' aS 1 nave
saio' not oay. was covered
with a blanket, but was very chilly.
MANY times during the afternoon the
stauora hro,.,+ ~ .,h:.,..
s"o 1''0 ""'sAey' = oe'
'ie'e 1 crank n more that afternoon
than had drunk in all my life before,
and more than ever have since r.
scarce}v had g. tasta and ala ,o+
m.la ~ ,, nv r, u NV
'n"Ae ','o "ar"' Inc olooo oozeo
away slowly not only soaking the
the stretcher and dripned mon the
oro,,nd m. .o;.
s " was p'o''y SEVERE
ou1 SO long as l could keep the arm
perfectly still I could bearit. The fin
GERS of NV RIGHT hand ached with tba
wear;,ess ~ i o,d;,. +hon. :.
~. % y. nvo's t"e'1 An oi'e po
s'eion, AZ oio ID keeping my left arm
entirely quiet. TO change 30 much as
the position OF finger caused intense
pain. Much OF the time I was only
half conscious, but without losing the
sense OF pain. Now and then Iroused
myself to look at the table where
some poor wretch was undergoing
mutation. l did not yet know with
certainty whether l should lose my
arm or not, but l thought it likely.
They gave chloroforn in all cases, but
noticed that the men struggled and
moaned g. great deal, especially as the
surgeons sawed the bone. It was not
very cheerful afternoon, and my
involuntary lessons in surgery were
not more than half appreciated.
It was, think, about eight O'Clock
I'm the evening when E was lift
ed upon the table. T had been
wounded at one o'clock, and my arm
mad become much swollen. now
learned for the frst-time that had
been struck in the elbow. had only
seem the exit wound near the shoulder:
The shot had hit iairly on. the very
point OF the elbow as nv arm, was
bent, pushed through the Joint. fol-
loweU the humerus for about eight
inches, completely smashing it, and them
passed out on the inside of the arm:
From the direction of the ball it seems
that it should have passed throuoh
NV left breast. 7 seem to remember.
q blow there which partly helped to,
turn me around, but cannot be quite,
certain OF it. The ball was probably
much fattened, and so did not pene-
trate.. conclude, therefor, that a..
sharp-shooter had singled me out.
aud, would have finished me if nv arm,
had not interposed.
With the regular surgeons were A. lot
Of doctors or students from the north.
taking their first lessons in gun-shot
wounds. A good many of them seemed
to find it necessary to examine NV
wounds with probe and finger explora-
tion.. It was not agreeable. but 40 far
had made no protest. Ihad ALWAYS
plumed myself on inv nerve. and indeed
had always a good record, in that re-
.spect, since childhood. | had once
called in our surgeon to lance O. big
boil or carbuncle on nv arm. He ask
ed a comrade to hold up my arm so
that l shouldn't jerk. This he declined
to- do, saying quietly that he guessed
it wasn't necessary I did not so.
much as move an eyelash as
the doctor thrust in his lance.
"Good soldier!' he exclaimed,
with enthusiasm, and I accepted it as
the highest compliment which he:could
have paid me. I thought could do
the same thing over again, and l still
think I might, so far as the cutting
was concerned. l was, of course,