The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-10-06
A WONDERFUL STOIC.
While Being Cut Open by
Surgeon.
" Can l light a cigar?"

Can | light a cigar?'
Certainly, if you feel like it."
"Have you a match?"
The above conversation took place
In the amphitheater of the Cincin-
natl city hospital a few days ago be-
tween a well-known staff surgeon and
patient on the operating table. Cigar
and match were soon forthcoming,
and with extraordinary self-satisfac
tion the patient blew the rings of
smoke high in air, and it seemed as if
never before had he enjoyed the weed
so much. Yet while the smoke wreaths
were ascending keen-edged knife was
blowing its way into the mans abdo-
| men and the blood was squirting in
streams from numerous arteries. Oc-
casionally the mar would raise his
head and watch the progress of the
work, then continue placidly putting
his cigar. On such occasions the sur
geon would stop long enough in his
| work to ask:
'Does it hurt?"
"Not Bit
And still the knife would slash and
cut with lightning speed, nurses and
| internes standing around watching the
| proceedings with interest or handing
| the instruments to the operator, or
catching up the flowing blood. But
still the chief actor in the scene con-
tentedly pulled away at his cigar.
RAISE your head a moment" said
Tho nhpypH
Look down here" The patient did as
he was told, while the surgeon held a
mass of connective tissue in his hand
which, apronlike, covers the intes-
tines. Beneath it the intestines were
clearly in view.
You are perhaps the only man who
| ever saw the workings of his own in
testines," observed the doctor. The
patient was not in the least alarmed
and took more than a negative interest
in the further progress of the opera
ton.
The stole who had this singular ex-
perience is Martin Cohn, aged GA, a
veteran of the civil war, whose home
is at 39OS Indiana avenue, Chicago.
Three days ago he limped into the
city hospital, and the lines about his
face indicated great physical suffer-
ing. His blue coat, with a G. a. r. but
ton in the buttonhole, insured kindly
reception. He stated that he had left
Chickamauga three days before and
was in severe pain from an old rupture,
a relic of his soldier days. To the skill
full eye of the examining physician it.
was at once apparent that only an
operation would bring the desired re-
lief, and he was therefore sent to the
surgical service to prepare himself for
the ordeal. An examination there by
the staff surgeon confirmed this con-
clusion, but also showed that the man
was suffering from heart trouble,
which would make it dangerous to EN-
ploy general anaesthesia. Under chlor-
oform or ether rendering him uncon-
scious, and therefore oblivious to pain.
the doctor was apprehensive that their
action upon the weakened heart might
prove fatal. In this dilemma he de-
cided to use local anesthesia, which,
applied to the surface of the skin,
deadens the pain caused by the knife.
but is only used in minor operations.
Cohn was told the existing conditions,
but did not finch for a moment. In
fact he seemed to take certain pride
in being able to demonstrate his cour-
age, and his request to smoke cigar
while the operation was in progress
was prompted by the desire to dis
play that bravery to its utmost ex-
tent.
The operation was the usual one
from inguenal hernia, an incision
seven inches in length on the right
side of the abdomen, below the UNI
bilious, being made. Nearly all hour
was consumed in its performance, but
he never WINGED, smoking his cigar to
the end.-Chicago Chronicle.