Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-09-25
QUEER SENSATION
How 1t Feels to Go Under the In
fluence of Chloroform.
THE DIZZY DIVE INTO SLEEP.

IN tue AAuefiGdH mdsdLlHH u writer
wildly reports the sensations be had
at the time he was operated on for
appendicitis. Following is his account
of the sensations be experienced as lie
went under the anaesthetic:
Don't let them begin cutting too
SOON l have since learned that this in
junction by the patient was not origi-
nal with me. They all say it.
my an~aesthetist assures that he
won't
''This Is pleasant, being chloroformed
If only the chloroform would take
effect Evidently you are a hard sub
ject to put under. You hope that they
are interpreting the difficulty. Per
haps they are, for they seem to be
working more persistently, and the
wafty odors are somewhat increased
But all that is accomplished is to make
your ears buzz, interfering with the
point of the funny story which your
anaesthetist is now telling to the
nurses.
"'Sheel fieepy,' you warn. Not
| chlor'form, though. JUS tired
".AlI right responds your anaesthe
fist. No hurry
1.-THE little room is very quiet With
| out, in the corridors, are careless laugh
ter, patter of busy feet; but, within. a
small silent circle is gravely watching
that wondrous and merciful rams
formation Of a quick and sentient be
ing into a living corpse.
"'Shleep minute. Wait-bit. Not
ready
The buzzing is annoying; it gives q
dizzy sensation. Aside from that, your
eyes and tongue together are delicious
ly heavy, and you simply have got to
take q little nap.
"'G'by. Don't-start. Canfeelyet-'
You will have to depend upon the
other persons in the room to keep the
surgeons away while you are helpless
~ doing. They will, won't they
| Meanwhile the blackness behind your
closed eyes is c~uriously scintillant with
fat sparks. The buzzing Of swarming
bees in your ears is terrific. And as
you gaze and listen, with sudden sick
ening swoop, you have slipped from
the pallet and headlong plunge down.
down. down through midnight space
Struggling, paving. fighting for a
way, you rise out Of the depths Of the
Icarian dive and break the surface.
Like butterflies the white caps and
sweet faces Of nurses futter above
you. Your eyes refuse to focus, and
YEARLY you must close them. What's
the matter, what has happened, where
are you, and why? Why is a mouse?
You stammer with thick utterance, ap-
pealing generally.
wherein ~
"Tn your ROOM
This is to be digested a moment.
Then abruptly a poignant alarm as
sails. The question quavers weakly.
fearfully.
But they haven't done ii YETI
"'Oh, yes The nurses voice tinkles
seraphic. It's all over with
THANK Godl And you're alive. The
lady who married you must be so in
formed at once.
"'What time is itf
"'Eleven o'clock
"Jerusalemi Four hours obliterated
wiped off the mental map. leaving
trace of not even a dreaml Impossible.
Or is this itself but a dream? You
would like to explore that spot to see
if the news is really true, but you dare
not lest you wake yourself up I'm the
midst Of the operation And as you
again open your mouth, in sickly
babyish fashion. the ministering angel
In white cap deftly inserts ar ambros-
ial swab-icy cold, wet and grateful
as a drop of water to a Dives. When
you shut down upon It as feverishly
as a starving kitten she says: Don't
do that Don't swallow any. 1t will
make you sick This diverts you.
Cant / have a drink
"'Yes, I'll give you a drink And
so she does-a t~easpoonful Of hot wa
ter. which I am instructed to swallow
slowly.
1T has about as much effect on that
tarred and feathered tongue as a dror
OF dew on a hip rubber boot.
This is a new occupation-waitine
for that teaspoonful Of hot water which
arrives every half hour. Ones thoughts
dwell Upon it and one listens eagerly
for the nurses step returning; ones
mouth opens in advance, like a nesting
BRIDES. To such a plane Is reduced 9
once strong mind.
"In the midst of this humiltzt1ng pas
time the lady who married me enters
timidly, half smilingly. half tearfully
Dearest she says, how are you?'
Fine 7 say. Listen Come closer
Let us sing Little Drops Of Water
The nurse makes her WITHDRAW wal
and she goes blanched, because she
deems ms crazed by my experiences Of
the past ten hours
The dose is doubled TO tive teaspoon
fuls at a time. Nevertheless. despite
this generosity. in water rights. the
waking dreams Of a human being dyinl
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