The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-06
NERVES OF SURGEONS
SUFFER STAGE FRIGHT WHEN FAC
! ING A DIFFICULT OPERATION.

Operating q Friend.
sis there such thing Us stage fright
among surgeonsp" successful New
York surgeon was asked Though the
term stage fright with reference to sur
gerry was perhaps MISSIONER, the. sur
geon understood the question.
oh, yes, indeed, there is such o thing
as stage fright among surgeons, s" he re-
piled. "There are two kinds of stage
fright, or, rather, there are two different
temperaments among doctors, and the
fright, although in itself perhaps the
same, has different seeming, affected
Us 1t is by the material through which it
passes. The first is the surgeon who is
anxious to perform the operation, sees
no difficulties in the way and nothing
but successful termination. His rest is
not disturbed by reflections upon COM
phcations which may arise. Everything
is lovely until the patient is before him
Then his hand begins to shake il he
meets with difficulties which he had not
counted upon his nervousness increases:
no hurrfes, perhaps with fatal result
In the case of this man he grows worse
as he grows older, and in old age he
goes all to pieces
There is another temperament of
this order. From tho time this surgeon
recognizes that an operation is necessary
there pass through his mind oil the
complications which could possibly
como up, and he wonders if there ore
not more which he has not Thought Of
He is by no means sanguine of happy
cNcvrflf f%.x~ IL ~. -
other thing. AS the hour approaches he
breads to commence his work more and
more But when be is before the sub
Ject his nervousness leaves him He
commences intelligently, rejecting upon
what might arise. He does not hurry or
get excited, but he is intensely interest
ed, wholly absorbed by what he is do
ing. remember witnessing an opera
ton by one of the most celebrated sur
geons ever knew. It was O most diff
cult operation, and the amphitheater
WIS filed with doctors who had come
TO see it performed. A few moments be-
fore the surgeon was to commence he
wts presented by friend to two doc
torS who had come from distance to
se9him operate He bowed very polite
lyIand spoke few words Shortly after
ttSat he commenced operating
W Tho operation was of considerable
length, and when it was finished the
two gentlemen to whom the surgeon
had been presented approached to speak
cmgratulatory, word or two AS he
did not appear to recognize them, his
friend presented them again He ex-
pressed his pleasure at meeting them
without the slightest recollection that
he had met them. -
Do you recall the first operation you
over performed yourself?"
Indeed remember it very we'll I
was in hospital where there were
$500 beds and 33 surgeons in charge.
was onfe of the young assistant surgeons
Ii an operation was necessary in any of
the wards, it was our duty to report it
to the surgeon in charge, who then per-
formed the operation if he chose. re-
ported to my surgeon tho necessity CT
an nnputatim of u great toe The sur
gem came and looked at the man and
co1curred with my opinion that an am
putatlon was necessary. I was directed
to get everything ready for the opera
ton Then, said the surgeon, L will
c1llle and operate if can. If not, You
go ON and perform the operation your
eelf
II told my young associates of the
order, and they said: Well, you so ON
and get ready, but he won't come. You
will have to do the operation yourself
And that was the way it turned out
The operation was to be ut O'Clock
All the night before was rehearsing
what intended to do in my mind and
dreaming of it in my sleep. The next
day could not eat my luncheon My
hands and feet were cold When it came
time to commence the operation, I could
only steady my nerves by threading
needles. I said: Give me the needles to
thread I am very particular about my
4 thread took needle and commenced
poking OF the eye. In few seconds my
band obeyed my will and became as
steady as could wish. performed the
operation successfully. After that went
ON performing q great many operations,
but it was years before could take a 1
O'Clock luncheon if I had to operate at 2
o'clock.
From the conscientious scientific
man apprehension never departs, for he
knows that it is impossible to foresee all
things And then, again, he takes in
his hands q holy human life If an actor
aocentuates the wrong word or halts i'll
his lines, the worst that can come is
slight damage to his reputation. If a
minister breaches heterodox doctrines,
the worst that can happen to him is
in1 Gov INx,k a.
dangerous operation makes but the