Year: 1872

THE World describes the treatment of
sun-stroke patients in this way: At
twenty-five minutes past seven a. m, one
of the ambulances arrived with a man
who was prostrated by heat in one of the
lower wards of the city. On his arrival
he was conveyed to the first division in
an apparently lifeless condition. He was
about forty.five years of age, and an
lrfshman. AS soon as he was brought in
every particle of his clothing was re-
moved, and he was laid on the bare floor.
Under his head was placed large rubber
pillow, filled with broken ice. Tin basins
were also brought in, filled with ice-water,
and one dozen common tumblers-these
were for the purpose of cupping At the
head of the unfortunate man sat the doc
tor giving directions to his assistants, who
were bathing him with the cold water.
The doctor gazed at the man moment,
and look of uneasiness overspread his
features as he recognized in the man a
hopeless case. Nothing daunted, he gave
his orders, which in this case were differ
ent from others, as the man on examina-
tion was found to be afflicted with heart
disease. For one hour the patient kept
yelling with all his might. His face was
purple, and large beads of sweat kept





the eve could not be seen, and it was eX-
pected he would expire every moment.
BY the time the doctor had commenced
to cup him an old lady entered the ward,
and gazed with anxiety to the right and
left, without recognizing the object of her
search. Impelled by the cries of the new
patient, she hurried to the end of the
room. One look was sufficient; she fell
to the floor, but almost in an instant re-
covered. Her first impulse was to rush to
the sick mans side, but she was prevented
by one of the attendants, who persuaded
| her she could be of no help, and
advised her TO go home and return in the
afternoon. As she gazed on the fearful
spectacle which her husband presented
she cried bitterly, and implored of the
doctor the privilege of speaking one word
to him who was dearest to her on earth.
The doctor here interfered, telling her il
was impossible to grant her request. Her
| husband was unconscious, and in very
precarious condition, and one moments
delay might be the means OF preventing
his recovery. The old woman, finding
her efforts of no avail, took her departure,
promising to call in the afternoon. Be
fore she left, however, she knelt at one OF
the little iron bedsteads, and prayed fer
vently for some time, after which she
arose and walked out of the room, sob
bing bitterly. According to her promise
she came in the afternoon, but he was
gone. She made inquiries, and by refer
ring to the list the clerk announced that
William Smith died at five minutes past
two p. m, and was in the dead-house,
Without saying word she gazed at the
clerk, as If inclined to doubt his word
but not finding him in the ward where
she had left him in the morning. sne di
rected her steps to the dead-house. Sc
distorted and changed had become the
features that at first she failed 10 recog
nize him; but when she did, the scene
was terrible. She bent over the coffin OF
her departed husband, and acted in SC
strange manner that it was found neces
sary to remove her at once. She walked
along the gravel walks with not tear In
her eye, but from all appearance she had
become insane,