The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-25

We met for the first time in Germany,
where I was leisurely travelling in search
OF health.
was sitting on the deck of Rhine
steamer when he approached me with
pleasant smile and asked, In excellent
English. IL / would accommodate him
with a light for his cigar. of course,
compiled with pleasure, and while he was
drawing all the Spanish, as We say In
America, from the half-consumed weed
which 1 had given him in lieu of a match,
/ was taking the following mental snap
shot of his personal appearance: He wore
the uniform of a German military ON
Ger; was scarcely 81; tall and muscular
His features were regular, but a deep
purple scar, extending from his temple
to his chin, unfortunately disfigured his
otherwise handsome face. His counte-
nance was animated. His eyes were blue,
his hair black and crisp, and his NOUS
tache, which was carefully trained away
frcm his mouth, was waxed and nicely
pointed at the ends. But there was some
thing more. He was minus an arm. Inc
right arm had been severed just above
the elbow.
Returning my cigar with thanks. he
dropped carelessly into a seat close by
and seemingly unconscious OF tire TACT
that We were utter strangers, began 10
simultaneously. / was highly delighted
with his free-and-easy way-it was SO
American, you know; and was curious
tn learn something of his history, FOR II
was evident that his life bad been unusu-
ally eventful for one so young.
'sYou are connected with the army?
asked. Offering him fresh cigar.
Yes" he answered. Lieut.. Werner
Of the Third Hussars, at present station
ell at Metz"
You are so young" I said; yet you
seem to have had the experience OF vet
cram"
'Oh, you refer to my wounds" he re-
plied You are curious TO know the
meaning of them? OF course, as gen.
tleman should. you put ii in mild way
but you meant IL all the same. What a
pity" he added, with doleful look that
had a strong suspicion of laughter back
OF Il; what a pity IL is that one should
b. thus afflicted with a brand which
makes him A perpetual target fer the Vul-
ga emotions of every Tom, Dick and
Harry. But such is fate.
/ tried TO explain. but he cut me short
with a flourish of his hand and contin-
ued, this time laughing outright: Not a
word of apology. my dear sir not word.
1: is natural. You have only done what
others have done before you. / am not
in the least sensitive. In fact, am proud
OF my wounds. and were 1t not for the
inconvenience oil O0t-lIlt iOSS VI IiShe
arm-I should have hesitated long time
before undertaking a wild-goose chase
such as | am now engaged in.
Then he related, in pleasant, sociable
way, the history of his young life, from
the time when he began his military ca
reer up to the time when he received his
wounds fighting the wahehes in Africa.
Il am now" he said, in conclusion, at
tached TO the commissary department al
Metz and my life is a pleasant one"
But what about that wld-goos'
chaser" / ventured to ask.
THAT Is how i characterize IL, he an
swered, after a moments hesitation, but
two of my closest friends seem to regard
IL otherwise. One of these friends Is Dr.
Walter, an army surgeon at Metz. He
was attached to the military hospitals al
Weisenburg and Mannheim during the
Franco-Prussian war and also served In
the African campaigns. For skill and
practical knowledge of surgery he has nc
equal in the army. The other Is DR.
Meyer. also a surgeon, who Is now estab-
lished in Berlin. lie has served in DIR
Billroth's celebrated clinic in the Uni
versity of Vienna, is bold and success
full operator, ana stands at the head of his
profession in Germany. Ambitious tc
startle the professional world with some
great achievement in their line of bust
ness. these doctors have finally determin
ed to risk an operation which. If they sue
coed. will undoubtedly secure to them ar
enviable name in the annals of modern
surgery. Their project is as startling a:
IL is bold and original 1t is nothing less
thar TO graft the arm of some other mar
into the stump of an arm that has beer
already amputated. Now, what DO you
think of it?'
Think of iti' I repeated in astonish.
msnt: II think IL is the widest piece Of
nonsense that one could well imagine"
Just what I expected he said. laugh
irg. well, 1 have consented-condition
ally, understandable be one of the victims
who are to be sacrificed Oh this altar o.
modern science. The doctors have kindl!
offered to replace my lost arm with on
OF real flesh and blood. which shall per
form all the functions OF the original
and 1 in return have agreed to accep
their offer. provided, however, that tn
operation shall merit the approval of DR.
Eillroth of Vienna. The doctors are quit
confident that DIR. Billroth will sanction
all that they propose doing. AS for my
self-well, I both hope and doubt, will
the latter predominating, for ! cannot en-
tirely rid myself of the feeling that m.
present trip to Vienna is what / have al
ready termed IT, "a wid-goose chase
Surely you are not in earnestT' / SAT-
iDcredulously.
You distrust me-" he answered laugh
ing, because I treat the subject lightly
IL Is my nature to do So But / am sin
cere, all the same"
MY dear young man." / cried, In blanl
smazement, ''if the professor at Nienn'
Is the sort of man take him to be you
journey to that place Is indeed fool
errand, for no doctor of any common
sense would seriously entertain such
proposition for a single moment. NJ
knowledge both of surgery and anatom
Is not great, but / know enough of thes
TO convince me that no man living ca
knot together a set OF human bones tina
are foreign to each other. nor can he an
better gather up the different nerves an
muscles and sinews and blood vessels an
arrange them about those bones so ina
the reconstructed member will puisat
with the current of life, or that Its mus
cular organism will obey the mandates o
tn, will II is a feat in surgery that CA
never be realized by mortal man, ana n
one but a fool or a mailman would al
tempt It. Young man." / went on, grow
Ina more fervent, have nothing TO u
with these doctors-I mean professional
w: they can do you no good, but, on IN
contrary, may do you great deal
HARM"