The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-11-01

NIto t.>.t'AiSe 'AiN
light Of the spacious operat-
ing room window. His hawk
like, asce3i" features were turned TO-
ward the bay. as Il nurse carefully
fastened the SNOWY operating gown :t
neck aud waist ind wria!s. The mo.n-
C,.rs Of the class in operative Surgery
were scattered hbout the scmi-el:cuiaF
benches that rose tier Oil tier to tie
roof. Notebooks iii hand they dis.
cussCd in low tones the probable cases
TO be presented to them during the
coming hour. p3Esing abruptly rs tie
house physician OF the great hospital
suddeDly entered The room and hurried
to Tie Professors side The great man
bent his head to listen to the rapidly
spoken verbs. ut t.ic same thu" dip
ping his hands III IL ; t1isill.ect.ng EC!u.
ton before him.
AS he listened to the whispered words
Of the house surge Oh, DR.. John Aich2cn
Clavering dropped his liS;lcss air. lis
bent shoulders Strengthened. ard as he
wheeled to face the class his grim
features underwent a change. His
piercing eyes blaZed, and as the ken.
incislve words. sharp as the glisiening
knives that strewcu tie stand beside
tho operating table. dropped from his
lips in the high, cracked tones that fell
with such omiuous significance on our
ears. We shulGercd and glanced fur
lively q: CEe another.
''Dr. Clements informs tho, gentle
men," he said, that there Is now In the
reception room man who hes sus-
tanned severe ard dangerous fracture
OF the skull. The right parictal bone
Is depressed, aud the case demands i'm
mediate operations had Intended to-
day 20 demonstrate new method cul-
ploycd Icy me in uniting the broken
fragments OF 4 fractured pa tclla. How
ever. as soon 80 this patient has been
anae$t!pctizcI 1 shall proceed to ire
phinc aud, Il possible. repair the injury.
1T is scarcely necessary for me to
remind you, gentlemen, Of my we'll
known views OH brain surgery. l re-
peat again. tic brain is most delicate
, organ, aEa ally Interference with it is,
/ unwarraEtcd except In tie mcst. eS-
IRENE cases. I; is difficult to eay
whether the patient will survive the
operation, but, gentlemen. Gs always
prepare yea for such contingency in
these cases. You will hot he surprised
If fatal results attend my efforts to
save this patient"
DR.. Ciavering ceased. swept the faces
of the men before him With his pierre
ing glance and turned to lave his hands;
In the crcolin which the nurse. horror
depicted Oh her countenancc. held with
trembling hands at the surgeons side.
We looked from orc to the ether with
anxious faces. What new horror was
about to Ea enacted? Was 1t possible
| that We must sit inactive while an
other human being was sacrificed Oil
the altar Of opinion? At intervals of :.
| few weeks we had been compelled IL
witness the most palpahlc ca"e;essness
and criminal negligence during the
| course Of operations Cor the relief 0.
| injuries ana diseases Of the brain. We
| believed that Dr.. ClIvcrinc was hall
mad Oh this CEc point. His deXtcri!y
and SIKH "s d surgeon We're recognized
throughout the civilized world, aaI his
opinion had weight wherever surgery
was known. Hence the ease with
which his glarin:; mistakes" escaped
public notice.
We were rot to be Kept long iii SIS
rcnse III this Instance. Il seemed. Or
Il sudden the swinging doors opened
noiselcssly. and the table bearing It's
patient stretched at full length rolled
in. An assistant held ~ eihcr cons
over the mans face, 50 that his feat
ures were hidden frcul view. iii.
matted hair WINS gray. I'tom his stcr
toros's breathing. ci,d III, blush ting,
Of the cara and neck OF tho nar. W.
knew .ti.at his heart action was bad
ard that. coupled with the grave ;njur,
he Ind received. rendered his coni.it:o.
desperate indeed.
| The houss surgeon proceeded I,
cleanse flc scalp aud cut away tn
hair. disclosing an ugly cash cytordia.
to the bone.
| DR.. Ciaycl!ns turned br;shly. SO
lcctcd q sieaming scalral and ap
prcachtl the operating tabla. IL
| scarcely ;,ianced OF the patient
81 viii laS bare tho skull With t;
Ew eer'ng to,,li,e!iss,l.aP inpis.on OF SIN
pla length, ~ as to e.ar,, !; eleap wpr!;;
luz f'7;a," liz hcsan, "l'eilaw!ns '!'af