The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-13

and courageous"
So say the uninterrupted nurses and
attendants, and they say it in the full
ness of their knowledge Of such deeds.
Miss Oracle was very brave; re-
markedly brave
The doctor says it in the guarded,
conservative manner that carries con-
viction with it.
Il have done nothing worth mention
ing" declares Miss Shain herself.
Yet she has had nineteen finger
lengths Of skin removed and grated
that another life might be saved.
Not worth mentioning" her friends
Indignantly protest. Ugh! You ought
to be given the cross of the Legion Of
Honor"
You must remember I did it for my
mother. Any one would do as much, .
protests Grace Shain.
well. skin can be bought, so for you
to give your own was heroic, and so
her friends try to convince Miss Sha1n
that she is a heroine despite her con-
slant refusal to believe that she is en-
titled to the honor.
Neither Miss Shain nor her mother
would discuss the matter. Miss Grace
politely but firmly refused.
Mamma was very, very ILL.,, was all
she would say, and the doctors ex-
cised and then grated new skin on the
wounds. They wanted skin from some
one who was young and healthy. 1t
was perfectly natural that should in
sist on their using mine That Is all
there is about it,
That is Miss Grace's point of view.
The doctor, nor yet the nurses, and
least of all her friends, take her stand
point. The doctors say that ii was not
alone what Miss Shain did but her
manner of doing it that is worthy of
genuine admiration. Her friends are
proud OF her bravery throughout the
operation, but prouder still that she al
lowed her own skin to be used at all
Miss Shain is one Of the most popular
girls in the younger set Of society. She
is a very pretty girl with fearless,
clear-cut features and beautiful golden
brown hair. Her complexion rivals
the tints of the tea rose and it is con-
ceded that she is the most graceful
dancer at fashionable gatherings. In
addition TO these attractions she is the
happy possessor of a charming voice.
Miss Grace had always been ac-
counted a care-free, happy girl, who
would not and could not take respon-
sibilities. But when her mother be-
came i'll she took the worries on her
young shoulders and bore the burden
in manner surprising to her most in
innate friends.
Four months ago it was necessary to
remove Mrs. Shain to a sanitarium.
Her limb was growing rapidly worse
and the doctors determined to resort
to the last device in their power. Near
~ two years ago she met with an ac-
cident One day her little boy was
d bout to fall out of his bed. In her
effort to catch him Mrs. Shain bruised
her leg.
For two months she suffered but
slight discomfort. Then a small red
lump appeared which gradually grew
larger, causing her such pain that she
was unable to use her limbs.
The pain was SO excruciatlng that for
over a year Mrs. Shain did not have
an undisturbed nights rest The de-
structive process was so excessive that
her life was despaired of, when DR..
Hertzstein undertook to operate upon
the diseased tissue
At the first operation two excisions
were made. One wound closed natur-
ally, but it was necessary to graft skin
and transplant 1t on the other. 1t was
decided that the grating should be
done three weeks after the operation.