The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-05
BACON NARRATES
IMPRESSIONS Of
GLAND ORDEAL
Writer Who Seeks REGENERATION
Through Surgery, Says Fear
of Danger Disappears.
BY IRVING Il. BACON,
Copyright. 1921.

Copyright. 1921.
NEW YORK. Oct. To-day /
shall set down as clearly as
can remember my Impressions of
the monkey gland operation performed
on me Monday. 1t is too early as yet
to note changes which may or may not
be taking place within me, Writing
this, as I sincerely do, In the hope
that my case may prove certain ques.
lions to be true or untrue, whichever
way the results indicate, i have
schooled myself in the idea Of being
ultra-conservative, clearly frank and
positively certain of my mental and
physical status before expressing an
opinion.
Feeling One Of Elation.
There was. frankly. q feeling Of de-
preston which gripped me. But the
dominant note was one Of citation.
This elation was Occasioned when at
the great moment Of the beginning Of
the last step Of this surgical feat !
lost the sense of physical danger.
That feeling was engulfed In the su-
preme knowledge that ! at last had
been given the privilege OF attempting
to regain health. strength. and my
powers Of mental concentration-that
whatever my brain may have planned
had a chance of fulfillment. stepped
abruptly from q physical environment
to a state which felt to be a spiritual
one.
Sharpened by years OF reportorial
work, my wits were stirred and I
"snooped about" getting what de-
tails / could regarding the prepare
tons.
Sees Monkey Prepared.
1 saw the medical men and the
nurse grouped about the monkey. I
saw them prepare the funnel in
which the anesthetic was placed.
But my observations were inter.
rupted by the appearance at my
bedside of DR.. J. A. McLeay, who
was clad In his white operating
gown and by DIR. William Brodhend.
was removed to the operating
table.
Finally. when the door of the
monkeys room" opened and three
or four doctors and Miss Beatrice
Vrooman. the chief surgical nurse.
emerged therefrom. I seemed to
sense that We were getting under
way"
During the performance Of the
operation. could not help but over.
hearing few whispers to the effect:
He IL game"
must disclaim any courage in the
matter.
Suffered No Pain.
The ordinary human conception of
cutting Is that II always In accom-.
panied by pain, no matter what rn.
aesthetic has been employed or to
what extent II be administered. sut-
fered no pang. But when I realized
that my body had been subjected TO
an incision the thought Of It nauseated
me, sickened me-. felt faint. am
told that my face went deadly white.
l return to my recollection OF the
operation itself. The incision made. /
felt that the worst must bower by
then. The fact that / could feel no
pain permitted me to display what ]
must modestly deny was courage, but
more OF resignation to my situatio
Slowly ] conquered my feeling of
nausea. but I was terribly weak.
DR.. Edgar announced that the gland
was ready for implanatation. This Is
what I said to myself:
II am so glad they have a photog-
rapher who steals about noiselessly
and causes so little disturbance in a
situation that might be narred easily"
The sewing in Of the gland remained
as much a mystery to me as the in
cision had been. I CLEANED the facts
only from the urrent>eonversation be-
tween the surgeons. I could see the
observing medical mems faces take on
an interested look.
Then. after a comparatively short
period, during which DR.. Edgar asked
me II he were hurting" I heard a
friend say:
aCor~r, trIot,o,,. Ia q. III $500,
Wave Of Relief.
What a wave Of relief passed over
me! was taken from the table and
was placed in my bed in the same
room where the operation had been
performed. From then on I rested
and dreamed Of the future. I asked
myself:
"What WIN this operation meant
Not only to me and my vision OF q
happy and contented brotherhood of
man, but what will happen that will
benefit the woridf viii my ordeal
have been worth while?
I called for a mirror this morning.
As looked into 1t I saw a skin that
was flushed and pink. I asked my
nurse and later questioned DR.. Edgar,
fearing that a fever had caused this
mounting color. They laughed gaily
at my suspicion. I do not set this
down positively as a result Of the
operation, but this I know, that. I
was strangely pale yesterday and
have had a rather pasty complexion
for many months. Possibly my color
has been caused by excitement. L
do not know. But the fresh, rosy
complexion is there.
Cough Disappears.
Another thing, which l do not want
to be construed as q definite benefit
as yet ACQUIRING from the operation, a
chronic couch, which have had for
the last forty.flve years whenever I
lay down on bed, has been absent
since yesterday.
! What this may mean, cannot
hope to state at this time, but I |
am happy that I am not
racked by that cough. Possibly Il
may return. Perhaps IL is only |