The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-08
TORTURING PATIENTS.
How Students Practice on Bones at n Cal
Norma Hospital.

How Students Practice on Bones at n Cal
Norma Hospital.
san FrdnciSco Examiner.
The patients who have been taken to
the City Receiving Hospital Of late have
had hard time OF it, prior to the arri-
val OF the police surgeon, if their iniu-
ries have been sufficiently serious to
make them interesting to the medical
students who hang about the place for
the experience to be gained by watching
the operations which are OF daily occur
renee.
A little incident which occurred on
Wednesday will serve to illustrate the
style of performance of which some OF
the deputy saw-bones are guilty.
A young lad was carried into the hos
pital on Wednesday afternoon with n
broken thigh. Steward Koosher, as
gently as possible, ascertained the nature
Of the injury, and finding it so serious
sent for DR.. Martineaut, who was ut
tending the Falling inquest as a witness.
He then turned his back upon the pa
tent and began to prepare the splints
for the wounded leg. This was too good
a chance to be lost, and three medical
students, who were in attendance, made
descent on the unfortunate boy. First
n diminutive specimen about Is years OF
age pinched and poked the injured leg,
moved it about and felt it, until he had
located the break satisfactorily to him
self, and then fell back.
Number two, a few years older, then
stepped forward and repeated the per-
fornance. Neither OF them was partic-
ularly rough and the boy stood the
handling without murmur, but when
humble. three began to operate it was a
different matter. He was still older,
and had risen to the dignity Of blonde
mustache and plug hat.
With face portentious in its gravity
and look OF wisdom, which seemed to
have been acquired by years Of practice
in the accident ward Of hospital, he
stepped up to the operating table. The
father OF the boy, who was present and
had watched the first two with anxious
face, heayed sigh OF relief as he saw
this sapicnt-looking individual interest
himself in the case. His expression
soon changed. The embryotic Escula'
Plus seized the broken limb with both
hands and gave it wrench which
brought howl Of agony from the pa
tient.
With n glance OF triumph at his pre-
decessor he took fresh grip and twisted
in the opposite direction. Another
howl rewarded this effort, and bracln[
himself for another effort he caught thu
thigh at the point OF fracture with ont
hand and grasped the ankle with thu
other. He raised the foot and twistet
the lower part of the leg back and fortl
and smiled gleeiully as he felt the iagget
ends OF the bones CRATE beneath hi
fingers, while the patient writhed ant
moaned with pain. This seemed to sat
isfy the adolesCent surgeon, and as h'
dropped the leg the patient heaved
sigh OF relief. Fortunately before an
other student could take a hand in tn,
performance DR.. Martineaut arrived, AM
in about five minutes the boy was sen
home with his leg properlyset and band
aged. The performance OF the student
was reported to DR.. Martineaut, and h
at once issued orders that no studen
should touch u patient in his absenc
unless to assist the steward in som
minor operation or in stanching tloV
OF blood which might prove dangerous