Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-08-26
ETHER'S INFLUENCE.
An Old Soldiers Thrilling Experience Tn
der the Surgeons Kniic.

der the surgeons Kniic.
A gentleman recently operated on at a
| private hospital for the removal Of ire eft
/ eye. the socket and membrane Of which na0
become the seat Of a cancer, tells the fCI
/ lowing intere sting story Of his experience
under the knife TO a New York correspond
/ ent:
1.-THE doctors agreed that l had cancer,
| and nothing but an extensive surgical oper-
| alton could save my life / felt, on hearing
| their decision. ike a condemned murderer -
| as though a. certain day and hour should
/ look for the last time on earth and encounter
the terrible
"'But 1t viii not be painful, said the sur
geon, with "a pleasant smile. You viii be
under ether, you know
"The operation was 10 be done three days
after the consultation that sealed my fate.
How lived through those three days can
not tell. | wondered if | would have the
courage 10 face the ordeal cOolly. / had
never before thought myself a coward.
passed through twelve battles during the
late war and never shrank from danger.
But oh! a surgical operation, with all its
calm and detailed preparatiOn-all ITS awful
chances-is quite another thing. To get on
a table, lie down and take ether, with the
knowledge that you are about TO have the
ILOSI utllCdlt VI NOut July NdIEtu Oul -
that, indeed, calls for courage. Like the
man about to be hanged, l felt anxious to
have it over - and was greatly afraid l
should lose all my grit at the last moment
and make a show of myself Still. there
was one cOInfJrt-I should feel no pain:
and my nerves felt much strengthened by
the reflection, when | compared the surgical
operation Of the present day with that of
fifty years ago. when it would have taken
six strong men to hold me while my eye
was being literally gouged out and | was
writing in agony, conscious of it all.
AT last the day of the operation arrived
/ lay down on the operating table, and the
surgeon placed the ether cone over my
mouth and nostrils. took long, deep in
spiration of the ether. 1t was cold and
tasted good, tiugling slightly as it entered
my lungs, aud causing "a peculiarly delight
ful thrill TO pass over me. After taking a
few more breaths began to feel in u half
visionary state. thought was in "a bail
room filled with the gavest company and
was tripping the fantastic to some dreamy
waltz with the farcst Of the fair. Then !
could not resist singing. Noticing the doc
tor look gray ely at me, | came back at once
10 the situation.
90 Doctor, | said, this is delightful -
splCnddn just then something seemed to
crack inside my head. could see sparks
of fire flying all about me. Every object in
the room was in whIrl The doctor and
his attendants seemed to be engaged in "a
mad dance around me, such as the cauni-
balls indulge Ia around their roasting mis-
slonary. Thcl | had most horrible dreams
| fancicd that the doctor was amurdererand
that he had made his way into my room III
the night by means of an open window |
saw the awful knife CLEAN in his lanIs and
could feel he cold blade as it descended
into my stomach. Then though, | was
taken to dissecting room and there carved
up in the interest of science. Finally |
awoke, and the surgeon, bending over me-
cautioned me to remain mOtionless, and at
the same time assured me that the operation
had been suCccssfulh
The surgeon said: 1.-THE operation was
for cancer of the eyeball and socket and
necessarily very delicate undertaking.
The patient took ether remarkably weu.
As soon as he was unconscious the orbit
was removed. The diseased plates oi bone
We're then carefully sawed away and the
operation completed L. does not sa,m in
telling of it how tedious it was Fog tlroc
hours we worked constantly on DE-. aa1gut
Much bleeding took place, and tae ,.ugo was
several times retarded by the .n".s 20 .iy-
ing more ether, as the patient c.ia.l..y ,ti
pam occasionally As to the dream, W..ich
he enjoyed while under ether, they are not
unusuu, II is "A remarkable fact Shat phy-
steal memory con lnucs while lur brain
sleeps or is under an uupsthctiv lar op-
GRAFTON was unattended with Su-io uu-
favorable result, and the patient awaits
oaly the time when the wounds shall bc per
fcctly healed to have glass eye put into
the socket