Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-01-06

SNATCHED FROM DEATH.
How Mans Heart Got Displaced
m Tick ed on the Wrong Side.


"Do l look like man who has been
so near death that the funeral arrange
ments were made?" The questioner
was L cket Agent Warford. of Broad
way. He is a man Of spare frame. but
his cheeks are ruddy and his voice
strong and ringing. VIII lie not an
athlete he looks rs though he could
hold his own IN three or four rounds
marquis of Queensberry with fairly
matched compel tor.
II am not getting of patent
medicine fake" he continued. The
TACT remains. however. that | was
given up TO die. and half dozen
doctors predicted that IA day or two
was as much ms | could hope to live.
Some said my disease Was consumption,
and some thought Otherwise. but said
it couldn't make any difference, as
was bound to die any how.
You want TO know how il was'
Well, | hardly know about it my self.
About fifteen ears ago had singular
sensations IN my chest. and sudden
papilation Of my heart one day almost
scared me to death with the knowledge
that that organ was beating IN my
right de instead of the left. where
well-ordered hearts invariably hang.
PLY scans came and exam ned me. first
to ascertain the fact. and then question
ed me for hislor Cal points that might
aid them IN explaining the anomal
SO far IT'S feeling went | never knew
that | had heart before. the tit of
palptatiOn mentioned. AMI never had
been SEX but once in my life when |
had an attack of pleurisy SO mild that
| regarded il a. moth NJ but severe
cold. In kneading and punching
around IN chest II search OF symptoms,
The doctors found such dulneSs of
sound from the left lung that they
hardly knew what to make of il ]
was then suffering from what seemed
bad cold. accompanied by shortneSS
Of breath. terri BILE fits OF coughing. and
much cXpectoration. They surm scd
that the left lung had filed up.
hepaized they called it, aud guessed
further that was doomed To speed
Heath by gallop ne consumpt on. They
told me 60 make nv arrangements for
early departure.
Between fright and illness thought
was going TO cross the dark RIVER for
hotel at the time. but gave up my
Job gathered my few effects together,
and went to The home Of my parents
near Alban,. | babe good-by to all
m friends before starting. The ply
,icians gave me only mild pallat yes
to ease IN. passage TO the grave. SO
when rot home | didn't think it
worth while 10 take other medical adj
vice. Day by day grew weaker and
bad frequent paroxvsms OF coupling
so V oleut that | thought should Aever
get my breath again. VIII lee crawling
oul for the air of sum, day ia nted
in one of these paroxy SINS, and on re-
covering consciousness saw the
strange face of a young man Bonding
over me. He was freshly graduated
saw bones. and saw his zeal with ago
MES of apprehension. All that want
ed was liberty to die as easily us posi-
BILE. He, however. would not he shak-
en- of. Insisting on lerning all that |
could tell him Of the history Of the case.
he punched and thumped and pounded
around nv chest until WAS too cx-
hansled to protest. Then he told mo
he was 60 ne TO cure meat least he
thought So
The displacement OF your heart is
a most hopeful symptom il my theory
is correct. he said. Your left lung
has been crowded into collapse by sac
of serous water eii'used into your chest
from pleurisy sore. didn't take
much stock in his guesses or in his
hopefunes. but told h IN to 60 ahead.
The first thing he did was to call in an
old and experienced physician, whom
he with difficulty conviced OF the cor
rectneSs of his diagnosis. They intro
duccd an aspirator, and at the first
operation relieved my chest of nearly
Two gallons of dropsical fluid Ny
breathing was cased mt once. In few
days it became apparent that the drop
: cal nuid was flowing in again. Srv.
eral tappings were resorted to merely
TO give my health a chance to recupcr-
ate before The operation that was 10 be
final for life or death. | gathered
strength even more rapidly than they
anticipated, and within month was
ready for the ordeal. The phys clans
meanwhile had located the pleurtic
sore which caused the dropsy. Then
ihcv gave me ether. and when ] woke
up knew had been under the KIN fe.
There was wound in the left side. and
inside of my chest felt consciou. OF q
scaldng sensation. They had touched