The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-10-10
The Operation.
HE lofty figure Of the surgeo

IH He lofty figure Of the surgeon
was silhouetted against the
light of the spacious operat-
ing room window. His hawk
ike, ascetic features were turned to-
ward the bay, as nurse carefully
Fastened the snowy operating gown at
neck and waist and wrists. The men,
bers of the class in operative surgery
were scattered about the semi-clrcular
benches that rose tier on tier to the
eoof. Notebooks in hand they dis
eussed in low tones the probable cases
to be presented to them during the
coming hour, pausing abruptly as the
house physician of the great hospital
suddenly entered the room and hurried
10 the Professors side. The great man
Scent his head to listen to the rapidly
spoken words, at the same time dip
ping his hands in the disinfecting solu-
ion before him.
As he listened to the whispered words
IF the house surgeon, DR.. John McKeen
ia CAAAlE hlOJDNu LIS lASIltSb ulls Ills
bent shoulders Strengthened, and as he
wheeled to face the class his grim
features underwent a change. His
piercing eyes blazed, and as the keen,
lncisive words, sharp as the glistening
Knives that strewed the stand beside
The operating table, dropped from his
FPS in the high cracked tones that fell
with such ominOus significance on our
ears, we shuddered and glanced fur,
lively at one another.
"Dr. Clements informs me, gentle
men," he said, "that there is now in the
reception room a man who has sus-
.ained a severe and dangerous fracture
Of the skull. The right parietal bone
IS depressed, and the case demands i'm
mediate operation. / had intended to.
lay to demonstrate a new method EN-.
= ,oloyed by me in uniting the broken
fragments of a fractured patella How,
ever, as soon as this patient has been
anaesthetized l shall proceed to tire
ohine and, if possible, repair the injury
ut is scarcely necessary for me t.
remind you, gentlemen, of my well
known views on brain surgery. l re
peat again, the brain is a most delicate
organ, and any interference with it il
hnwarranted except in the most ex
IRENE cases. 1t is difficult to say
whether the patient win survive thu
operation, but, gentlemen, as 1 Away
prepare you for such a contingency il
these cases, you will not be surprised
IL fatal results attend my efforts t
save this patient"
DR.. Clavering ceased, swept the face
gof the men before him with his pierC
tng glance and turned to lave his hand
/ I'm the creolin which the nurse, horro
depicted on her countenance, held wit
trembling hands at the surgeons side.
4 We looked from one to the other wit
anxious faces. What new horror wa
about to be enacted? Was it posslbl
that we must sit inactive while al
other human being was sacrificed 0
the altar Of opinion? At intervals of
few weeks we had been compelled t
witness the most palpable carelessnes
and criminal negligence during til
FL course of operations for the relief {
E Injuries and diseases of the brain. "
believed that DR.. Clavering was ha
mad on this one point. His dexterit
: and skill as 4 surgeon were recognize
Throughout the civilized world, and h
opinion had weight wherever surgel
9twas known. Hence the ease wit
(which his glazing mistakes" escape
public notice.
Ill We were not to be kept long in su
pense in this instance, it seemed.
n IA sudden the swinging doors open,
Inoiselessly, and the table bearing i
patient stretched at full length roll,
in. An assistant held an ether co.
lover the mans face, so that his fea
fures were hidden from view. II
matted hair was gray. From his ste
tOrous breathing. and the blush tim
I iIof the ears and neck of the man. y
4 knew that his heart action was ba
~ Il s.-