The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08
THE MAN VINO DID NOT DIE.
A Whole Hospital Corps Of Doctors Nom
plusseh by One ID. Tremens.

plussed by One ID. Tremens.
This is a true happening. with the name q
the hospital suppressed out Of regard for the doc
tors, who aren't feeling very well satisfied over
It. Diagnosis is u ,cklish matter at best and
likely 10 be emphnically d~isproyed by The issue
Of the case. a truth appreciated more by I'D than
by young physicians, but when a whole hospital
| corps agrees that a man is going TO die almost
Immediately and operates on him in that belief.
the least they expect Of that man. In common
decency and gratitude. is TO shuttle on the mortal
coil with as much expedition and as little trouble
a. possible. In this case the patien, didn't die
and the hospital corps knows more about what
II doesn't know than II knew before.
In the beginning the patient landed In the
| alcoholic ward They asked him his name for
the office records and he said lie guessed IL was
Delirum Tremens. AS he declined 10 commit
himself further, he was entered rs Mr.. Trenens.
and this was false diagnosis the first, for he ee
| capped the little pink devils that swarm across
plain. white ceilings, and developed SO many
| other symptoms instead, Of various and inter
esung kinds, that he was summarily removed
to the medical ward and studied by the stall.
| They held a consultation over him and decided
that his interior organs were in the last stages
Of disrepair. and that. though he was beyond
help, much Of interest and value might be de
rived from experiments looking o ward patching
him up They wished 10 be frank with him and
give him fair warning. 80 the house physician
and the house surgeon and various assistants
told him that lie had better tell them his real name,
his address, and the address Of his relatives or
friends II he had any
what for asked Tremens
because you haven't long to i've said the
house doctor.
"Oh, pshaw!" said Tremens There's nothing
the matter with me except ,hat | can't eat"
"of course you can't" said the house doctor.
Your stomach Is fiat as a collapsed balloon"
Il suppose that's the drink. said the patient
"No wonder | can't eat, though When do you
think III de-
IN two or three days"
Nov, see here, gentlemen" said the patient,
-Itn DO time enough TO worry my friends and
family when I'm dead. But | don't believe I'm
| going TO die. | don't feel like It. Cant you
pu, q prop in my stomach and brace IL upT
1T is certainly worth trying" put in the house
surgeon 4 am glad that the suggestion came
from you An operation can do no harm and"
You mean II a mans as good as dead already
| you might as well kill him." Tremens observed.
Nov, | object to be being carved to death"
Theirs will be nothing q tina. sort" the house
the operation"
But there's tina, liver trouble" suggested
"They always told me that alcohol would pickle
my liver IN time remarked the patient What's
wrong with ~ Has II collapsed, or swelled up,
or moved, or WHAT
It's about as good as a tin can full Of holes"
said one o the younger doctors fippantly; 49,,
Your kidneys are In bad shape, too" added
the house doctor Your spleen seems 10 be
affected and believe there Is some Intestinal
obstruction There are some minor difficulties,
Never mind those" interrupted the patient
7 ought 70 make a lovely operation. oughtnt
II There's one thing ] want TO know: Is there
TITS q bare possibility, said the surgeon, With
out 1t you're certain TO starve 10 death, If you don't
die Of the other ailments first. The operation
In itself win not be fatal"
Then 90 ahead" said Tremsns. Don't mind
me"
They say In the hospital that not for many
years has there been so much interest In an opera
ton as there was In that one. Trsmens, under
chloroform,. was duly opened no for the inspeo-
ton and edifcation OF the staff, the nurses and a
found to be, as the doctors had predicted. a perfect
mess Of llplacsd, i'll Unconditional organs. They
frst inflated his stomach and got that into ehape,
then they turned 10 his liver, took that out, washed
It up and put II back. after which they went tbs
rounds OF his other organs with all the latest
apparatus, and when they were through with
MN i.rsHens was u new mdu'
"Splendidly successful operation" said the
house surgeon, rubbing his hands over II, He'll
die In an hour or two
Tremens came ont from under the chloroform
In time IN hear the end OF this, and hazily requested
. repetiion.
You haven't more than two hours TO live. my
friend" said ths house surgeon.
"Dosh" said Tremsns. I'm thirsty"
During the next three hours he repeated This
observation very frequently and In constantly
dying as fast as the doctors expected BY and
by he began 10 get peevtsh and TO swear because
nobody brought him any water The stat con-
suited again and ex planned the cas- 10 him
IT you drink water, you will die Immediately.
II you don't. you may 1--we several hours yet"
Thanks replied Tremsns. I've been going
shy on water for several long months and ] guess
! can stand II for a while. How about q long,
cooling sherry cohbler?'
lie didn't get the sherry cobbler and he con-
for the thirst that follows chloroform Is worse
even than that which follows drink. Every now
and then a doctor would drop around TO see IL
Tremens was still alive, and would 20 away very
asked /, be bathsd in cold water, and a. the nurse
sponged him nature asserted Itself fercely and he
darted his head forward blung at ths sponge.
but missed II and fell back In a faint.
For seventy hours tho patient went without
drink, Al the end Of that time he was an object
10 give a man bad dreams His eyes were points
Of FIRE; the skin OF his face was Ike the crumpled
end Of q drum and his teeth wouldn't close be-
cause OF the size OF his tongue, II became evil
dent that he was near 10 death 81 thirst, which
Is about the most unpleasant death known out
side the history Of the Inquidtion So the doc
| tors decided TO give him water He was still
able 10 talk when they came 10 tell him.
will II Kill me-" he asked.