The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-08-29
The Operation.
"HE lofty figure of the surgeon

light OF the spacious operat
ing room window. His hawk
like, ascetic features were turned to
ward the bay. as nurse carefully
fastened the snowy operating gown al
neck and waist and wrists. The mem
bers OF the class In operative surgery
were scattered about the semiclrculal
benches that rose tier on tier to tn,
roof. Notebooks I'm hand they dis
cussed in low tones the probable cases
10 he 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
bent his head TO listen to the rapidly.
spoken words. at the same time dip
ping his hands in the disnfecting solu.
ton before him.
AS he listened TO the whispered words
Of the house surgeon, DIR. John Mckecn
Clavering dropped his llstless air. His
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,
incisive words, sharp as the glistening
knives that strcwed the stand beside
the operating table, dropped from his
lips In the high, cracked tones that fell
with such ominous significance on our
ears, we shuddered and glanced fur.
lively at one another.
HDr CIamants fufnrp,, ,,,o .au,t.
men," he said. that there Is now in the
reception room man who has sus.
tanned severe and dangerous fracture
Of the skull. The right parietal bone
Is depressed, and the case demands I'm
mediate operation. | had intended to.
day TO demonstrate a new method en-
ployed by me in uniting the broken
fragments OF fractured patclla. How
ever, as soon as this patient has been
anaesthctized | shall proceed TO ire.
nhlne and, II possible, repair the injury
1T Is scarcely necessary for me TO
remind you, gentlemen, of my well.
known views on brain surgery. re
peat again, the brain Is n most delicate
organ, and any interference with IL is
unwarranted except in the most ex-
treme cases. II Is difficult TO saw
whether the patient will survive the
operation, but gentlemen, as | always
prepare you for such contingency i'm
these cases, you will not he surprised
II fatal results attend my efforts TO
save this patient"
Dt. Clavering ceased, swept the faces
of the men before him with his pierre.
ing glance and turned 10 lave his hands
70 the crcolin which the nurse, horror
depicted on her countenancc, held with
trembling hands at the surgeons side.
3 we looked from one to the other with
anxious faces. What new horror was
about to be enacted? Was II possible
that we must sit inactive while an.
other human being was sacrificed on
the altar of opinion? At intervals of n
few weeks we had been compelled to
witness the most palpable carclessncss
and criminal negligence during the
course of operations for the relief of
injuries and diseases of the brain. We
believed that DIR. Clavering was half
mad on this one point. His dexterity
and skill as surgeon were recognized
throughout the civilized world. and his
opinion had weight wherever surgery
was known. Hence the ease with
which his slaring mistakes" escaped
public notice
We were not to be kept long i'm sus.
pensc in this instance. 1t seemed. ON
a sudden the swinging doors opened
noiselessly. and the table bearing its
patient stretched at full length rolled
in An assistant held an ether cone
over the mans face. so that his feat
ures Were hidden from view. His
matted hair was gray. From his ster.
torous breathing, and the blush tngc
Of the ears and neck of the man. WE
knew that his heart action was bad
and that, coupled with the grave injury
he had received rendered his condition
desperate indeed.
The house surgeon proceeded e
cleanse the scalp and cut away TN,
hair, disclosing an ugly cash extending
10 the bone.
DIR. Clayerlng turned briskly. So
lected cleaning scalpel. and ap
preached the operating table. IL
scarcely glanced at the patient.
ii will lay bare the skull with
sweeping semi-circular incision Of am
pie length. so as to afford n clear work
ing field" he began. Following that
with n hammer and chisel, will Gu
through a section OF the bone an
break it at the base. laying bare "a
brain"
DIR. Clavering prepared TO make th
incision. At that instant the assistai
raised the cone 10 replenish IL wit
ether. The surgeon caught a gllmps
T the patients face and gave an Il
voluntary start. His face paled in a
instant. and he staggered back. He r
covered bis composure in a momen
however and turned once more TO u
members OF the class. who now lean'
forward In axious expectation.
oGonf1omQn On aaroud thouohf