The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-12-12

supported me while 1 gazed out into the
blue sky.
The scene is one that l will never for
get. D.! did not look at anything in par
tlcular. but l can remember hearing the
distinct hum of voices on the street be-
low. the rattle of the cable in it's conduit,
and the chirping of the birds in the trees
outside the building. The sun was shin
ing brightly through the window. and the
little nurse was b~ustling about the room,
getting all things ready.
l was awakened from my r~everie BY
the metallic clash of one knife against
another, and turned my head sufficiently
to see a sallow young student preparing
the instruments, and at the same time
putting on 4 cigarette with all the non
chalance of a veteran operator.
This brought me to my senses and I Law
back On the op~erating-table. telling the
surgeons to go ahead. I had not given up
all hope, by a large majority, and was de-
termined to take the ore chance in fifty
which had been referred to.
The nurse advanced with the ether. and
Il bell-shaped mask, which reminded me
of a piece of wire screen covered with
cloth, was placed over my nose and
AAOuIAs cuuuculN SOlleluluK COlu ana
wet dropped upon this screen, and the
spray covered my face. while the pun-
gent odor of ether penetrated the recess
es of my brain.
The drops upon the cloth became louder
and louder, until at last they sounded like
the dull roar Of Niagara. while the con-
versation of the surgeons and attendants
became more and more confused. At last
I could understand nothing, although 1
still had my wits about me, and knew full
we'll that the screen had been removed.
Suddenly l was seized with the fear
that the surgeons would begin their work
before 1 was we'll under the influence of
the drug, and by a s%uperhuman effort I
managed to raise my hand and wave it
feebly. 1t had the desired effect. A Sec
ond later the mask was again applied,
and the roar of the little drops of ether
began once more.
This time I passed into oblivion. How
long l remained in this state I do not
know, but when I awoke l was in a bed
in one Of the private rooms of the hos
pital, and the little nurse I had seen in
he ~perating-room was seated in n low
chair beside me. slowly tanning me to
take away the heat of the air and the
effects of the drug. At a window near
by sat one of the surgeons calmly reading
a book and waiting for me to recover con.
seriousness.
"What time is it?" was my first cues.
ton.
"You must not talk" said the nurse,
with a quiet smile. eco to sleep for a
while and you will feel better"
And | did. The sleep helped me won
derfully, and when / awoke l felt better
than l had for some time, save for the
pain of the wound. For many days I
lay in that hospital, and when the wound
began to heal and the flesh in that portion
of my body began to itch, I had a fierce
struggle with myself to keep from scratch
ing the irritating point. Finally I tri-
umphed, and within seven weeks I was
able to leave the place and start over
again.
1 have left that portion of my anat.
omy for which no man has yet found q
use within the corporate limits Of Balti-
more. On the books of the hospital l am
classified as '~perityphlltis," but to-day
my disease would be known and recog-
nized by the world as appendicitis
George l.. Macfarlane, in the St. Louis
Republic.