Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1915-02-13


abroad some time ago made a par
ticular study of the "Daemmerschlaf'
otherwise, the twilight sleep"-at
Freiburg where it was developed, and
at other places in Germany where the
subject had attracted great attention.
| was much impressed and had i'm
ported the treatment to Hillside.
While we waited | reached into my
desk and drew out the letter to which
l referred, which ended, | recall:
AS Doctor Reinstrom is in Amer
lea, he will probably call on you. l
am sure you will be glad to know him.
With kindest regards, l am,
"Fraternally yours,
EMIL SCHWARZ, NJ. D.,
Director, Leipsic Institute of Medi-
cine"
Most happy to meet you, Doctor
Reinstrom," | greeted the new arrival,
as he entered our office.
For several minutes we sat and
chatted of things medical here and
abroad
What is it, doctor" | asked finally,
that interests you most in America"
"Oh," he replied quickly with an eX-
pressive gesture, lit is the broadmind
edness with which you adopt the best
from all over the world, regardless of
prejudice. For instance, | am very
much interested in the new twilight
sleep OF course, you have borrowed
it largely from us, but it interests me
to see whether you have modified it
with practice. In fact, have come to
Hillside sanitarium particularly to see
it used. Perhaps we may learn some
thing from you"
1t was most gracious, and both Doc
tor Thompson and myself were
and touched a call button and our
head nurse entered from a rear room.
Are there any operations going on
now" / asked.
She looked mechanically at her
watch. yes, there are two cases, now,
think" she answered.
Would you like to follow our tech
nique?" l asked. turning to Doctor
Reinstrom.
81 should be delighted" he acqui-
esced.
A moment later we passed down the
corridor Of the sanitarium, still chat
ting. At the door of a ward | spoke
to the attendant, who indicated that a
patient was about to be anesthetiZed,
and Doctor Reinstrom and l entered
the room.
There, in perfect quiet, which is an
essential part of the treatment, were
several woman patients lying in bed
in the ward. Before us two nurses and
a doctor were in attendance on one.
spoke to the doctor, Doctor
Holmes, by the way, who bowed polite
ly to the distinguished Doctor Rein
strom, then turned quickly to his work.
Miss Sears" he asked of one of the
nurses. will you bring me that hypo-
dermic needle?"
You will see, Doctor Reinstrom," l
injected in low tone, that we follow
in the main your Freiburg treatment.
We use scopolamin and narkophin."
held up the bottle, as said it, a
rather peculiar shaped bottle, too.
And the pain?" he asked.
Practically the same as in your ex-
perience abroad. We do not render
the patient unconscious, but prevent
her from remembering anything that
goes on"
Doctor Holmes, the attending physi-
clan, was just starting the treatment.
Filling his hypodermic, he selected a
spot on the patients arm where it
had been scrubbed and sterilized, and
injected the narcotic.
And you say they have no recol-
lection of anything that happens?"
asked Reinstrom.
Absolutely none-if the treatment
is given properly" l replied. con-
fidently.
Wonderful" calculated Reinstrom
as we left the room.
Now comes the strange part of my
story. After Reinstrom had gone, Doc
tor Holmes, the attending physician
of the woman whom he had seen anes-
thetized, missed his syringe and the
bottle of scopolamin.
Holmes, Miss Sears and Miss Stern
all hunted, but it could not be found.
Others had to be procured.
/ thought little of it at the time, but
since then it has occurred to me that
IL might interest you, Professor Ken
nedy. and give it to you for what it
ma. be worth.
II was early the next morning that /
awoke to find Kennedy already up and
gone from our apartment. / knew he
must be at the laboratory, and, gather
ing the mail, which the postman had
just slipped through the letter slot, /
went over to the university to see him.
AS looked over the letters to Gull
out my own one in a woman's hand
writing on attractive note paper ad-