Evening star., 1939-06-11

- - tnln lace drawn, MS eyes narrow dllu
searching; chewing his fngernails. Before him
started the swell of huge glass dome, which
separated the balcony from the square, spot
lessy white operating room below.
A student - about twenty - entered and
sat beside the old man. He said, Has it
started?"
The patient is nearly ready.
Thirty seasoned surgeons occupied the re-
naming seats One might have had the
impression that these dgnified gentlemen
we're awaiting the rise OF the curtain to
musical comedy, for they were gay; they
scoffed at the length of the shot young DR..
Morse was about to take.
The boys fool said one.
Said another, Hell never do it. Neither
Lave nor SNYDER would touch it with ten
foot pole
And third, Il wouldn't with twenty.
He will do it," the old man told the
student.
Gosh, breathed the youth. Gosh this is
wonderful"
The old man said, Yes, lad, this operation
is wonderful - because that boy down there
is the only man with courage enough to try it.
To try in the face of refusals by greater sur
geons But he won fail.
Below, nurses and assistants were preparing
= for surgery. They moved about swiftly,
quietly, placing things where they could be
reached, when needed without effort. The
respiratory equipment was receiving last
minute inspection. A nurse was removing
nCkel-plated instruments from the sterlzer
and arranging them in neat row on the
scalpel tray.
Suddenly the doors of the operating room
swung open, the activity stopped, the patient
was wheeled in on table. DR.. Morse's brown
face took on an expression of hardness, stern
ness, when he looked down at the helpless
being from whose brain he must remove an IN
fecton which had lodged there nearly year
before it had been discovered.
Ether was drawn through the patients
nasal passage while DR.. Morse's aide held up
rubber gloves into which the surgeon shipped
strong reliable fingers. He then slipped into
his white covera and his skullCap and mask
were fixed on his head Only his eyes remained
uncovered.
A nosepiece. attached by thin hose to the
ether oxygen machine, was placed over the
nose and mouth of the dying man. whose head
had been shaved. The anesthetlst stayed at
the controls of the machine. He said, "Condi-
ton. fair" But the breathing chamber pull
sated rapidly, registering more than forty.
A nurse sprayed antiseptic on the shaven
scalp and then camped large towel about
the head, to create fence of sterilization.
Through the amplifier in the balcony. again
came the clear. low voice of the anesthetlst:
Patient is ready"
The doctors in the balcony ceased talking.
They leaned forward, their chns in their
palms The student perspired The lines on the
old mans face deepened A doctor muttered,
He can't do it.
He will, whispered the old man.
DR.. Morse was ready. He looked up and
prayed. Please God, put into my hands the
power to place him back on earth. Above,
the old man prayed, too.
The surgeon stepped close to the operating
table and the nurse promptly clapped into
his waiting hand a cleaning scalpel. He passed
sensitive fingers gently over the head OF the
patient and suddenly let them stop when his
probe located the point sought The doctor
looked up at the old man, and his eyes smiled
for a moment The old man looked down and
said. quietly, Cautious David.