The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-04-25
AT THE CLINIC.
AN HOUR WITH THE MEDICAL STU
DENTS AT ANN ARBOR.
Operating Upon a Laughing Little Cripple
A Lady Student-LauGhing on Both
Sides-The Terrible ''NIoxa''-
Dramatic Situations.
luke sharp in Detroit Free Press1

luke Sharp in Detroit Free PreSs.I
The students are ranged in Semi-circuIar
tiers, each position commanding full view
of the patient and the operating surgeon. l
looked up with considerable int. st at the
amphltheatre of faces that were ranged
from the floor on which I stood, almost to
the ceiling.
The first operation was one that a certain
young lady viii be very thankful for eight
cen or twenty years from now. This young
lady of the future is at present a very sweet
and pretty baby months old. One of the
seIsaar medical students-a lady-sat before
the class with the baby laughing
on her lap. It made a very
touching domestic figure The lady
student might have been Howells' "Dr
Breen," or the Or Zay" of Eliza beth Stu
art Phelps, She was tall and well proper
toned; wore a dark olive-green dress that
fitted as it should and became her exceed
ingly. Her fine face was more than hand
some. There was an expression in it of skill,
knowledge, firmness and courage I take
her as typical of the very best example OF
our American lady medical students IL
seems to me that no other country pro-
duce a combination at once so womanly and
so professional She assisted at nearly all of
the operations, and l confess to unbouded ad-
miration of her alertness in every emer-
gency and her skillful dexterity. The baby
looked up at her and smiled The girl patel
the little thing on the cheek and the baby
srowed and laughed. DR.. Macean held the
rosy foot of the child in his hand and briefly
explained TO the students the cause and rem
edy 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 the natural position, and
the trouble-if unremedied-wouldc cause the
child TO become a hopeless cripple.
At a signal from the doctor young mSp
poured from bottle the an8sthetic on a
towel This was spread over the laughing
face of the baby. There was a frightened
cry, a stifed sob or two, then stiffness. With
careful quickness the lancet entered the
baby's ankle-Once-twice-thT Not
drop of blood was spilled. The little feet
were bandaged into their correct position,
with speed and deftness that were truly
wonderful During this there was not a
sound in the room. The first TO break the
silence was the baby, whose tremulous cry
of returning consciousness just as the last
bandage was stitched showed that sha
thought she had been taken mean adj
vantage OF, Just as she wanted TO crow
and laugh at the lady who held her. There
was nothing revolving about the operation
DIR. Maclean had done what Shakespeare
thought impossible, and had spilled no drop
Of blood. When that baby takes its first
steps those chubby feet will DO ready to do
their part.
4 girl Of u was next trundled in uncon-
sciou% She lay on the wheeled table TO have
q tumor taken from the side Of her face-n
terrible legacy Of that dread disease-scarlet
fever. The great difficulty in this case was
the almost unavoidable danger of cutting the
facial nerve, in which case one side OF the
girls face would remain paralyzed. The
operation was performed. The awaking was
10 be the test The students looked on in
breathless suspense. The doctor touched tho
lips Of the reyiying girl with the point Of a
needle Finally the girl gave pitiful vail
that carried with it the suspended dread
with which she had doubtless regarded the
trial she vas 10 pass through when the
merciful anaesthetic overcame her.
Instantly a murmur Of appreciation was
heard. The students were quick TO catch
ths results Of the Doctors skill
"E5he cries on both sides Of her face now"
said the doctor. "But she will laugh on
both aides Of her face afterwards"
~ cut my ankle WITH an AK eight year5
ago" said the next, as he laid down his
crutchss, land there she ia" With that no
stuck oIt his bare foot and leg, pnllid.
withered and apparently useless. When tho
man linped back "a tho room from which
he cams, DR.. Mhclean announced that ho
wns going - treat tho AMI b. with the cautor
This Instrument il Nhs white-hot iron that
became sonuswlnt celebrated from tho fact
that Clara Morris, tho actress. was benefited
by IT. 1850 in Paris soms years ago. Tho
item went the rounds under the heading,
Tho Terrible Moxa," nnd bon6lted Clara
al2o al IA nrstrrats fros advcrtiaonent
When tho man next came IN he lay IN
c0usclous On the table. Tho cnutrr II n
strange instrument, whOso working / must
admit do not understand. One man held n
bottle, another Esomiugly compresshble
green bulb. These, and tho cauter which
tbo doeDOr hold in bis hand, wers connected
~ rubber tubes. Tho bottle contained nnIsh-
TIM, and by soms means au lntenhe flame
seemed n be directed along the pencil like
cautgr. that spsSdily produced N white hnht
at the point II the instrument A the doc
tor held It there wAs kissing sound, and
then with a z-zz-zaz~Z the point bochfns dun
rod next bright red, aud finally glowing
white with this . with "a pen ~ fire. the
docs<r wrote IN the white ankle of ths uu.
conscious man. Doubtless las wrote heal
ing" Every touch ~ the uuKh fol-
lsve,i by "a black unnTz mi IA smell ri burn
ing flesh 'fDu and then tics Eur1aon woul1
hold Tho duIIiug iron in tho mir FOR moment
lill lna natna lnahad ig into "a white LsaL
hYaiu
Although l4a students nlIiaudad the
pluck IL thaae whD stood the operations with
mt liia MID ri tho suH.sthsIjo got nm al
0lber ocrnsiDna Lhn utmost ziIrnra wnz fnaiu-
taiurI Ihsrn was nothing theatrical abut2
the clinic, oct aDu4a ~ ths situations wefs
certainly ns dramatic ms oyuh be imagined.