CHAPTER LXIII.
THE OPERATION.
Next morning, at the appointed hour, the surgeons arrived in a body.They were accompanied by their juniors, young men ranging in age fromnineteen years to thirty. Like the senior surgeons, these younggentlemen were arrayed in their blue navy uniforms, displaying aprofusion of bright buttons, and several broad bars of gold lace aboutthe wristbands. As in honour of the occasion, they had put on theirbest coats; they looked exceedingly brilliant.
The whole party immediately descended to the half-deck, wherepreparations had been made for the operation. A large garrison-ensignwas stretched across the ship by the main-mast, so as completely toscreen the space behind. This space included the whole extent aft tothe bulk-head of the Commodore's cabin, at the door of which themarine-orderly paced, in plain sight, cutlass in hand.
Upon two gun-carriages, dragged amidships, the Death-board (used forburials at sea) was horizontally placed, covered with an oldroyal-stun'-sail. Upon this occasion, to do duty as anamputation-table, it was widened by an additional plank. Twomatch-tubs, near by, placed one upon another, at either end supportedanother plank, distinct from the table, whereon was exhibited an arrayof saws and knives of various and peculiar shapes and sizes; also, asort of steel, something like the dinner-table implement, together withlong needles, crooked at the end for taking up the arteries, and largedarning-needles, thread and bee's-wax, for sewing up a wound.
At the end nearest the larger table was a tin basin of water,surrounded by small sponges, placed at mathematical intervals. From thelong horizontal pole of a great-gun rammer--fixed in its usual placeoverhead--hung a number of towels, with "U.S." marked in the corners.
All these arrangements had been made by the "Surgeon's steward," aperson whose important functions in a man-of-war will, in a futurechapter, be entered upon at large. Upon the present occasion, he wasbustling about, adjusting and readjusting the knives, needles, andcarver, like an over-conscientious butler fidgeting over a dinner-tablejust before the convivialists enter.
But by far the most striking object to be seen behind the ensign was ahuman skeleton, whose every joint articulated with wires. By a rivet atthe apex of the skull, it hung dangling from a hammock-hook fixed in abeam above. Why this object was here, will presently be seen; but whyit was placed immediately at the foot of the amputation-table, onlySurgeon Cuticle can tell.
While the final preparations were being made, Cuticle stood conversingwith the assembled Surgeons and Assistant Surgeons, his invited guests.
"Gentlemen," said he, taking up one of the glittering knives andartistically drawing the steel across it; "Gentlemen, though thesescenes are very unpleasant, and in some moods, I may say, repulsive tome--yet how much better for our patient to have the contusions andlacerations of his present wound--with all its dangeroussymptoms--converted into a clean incision, free from these objections,and occasioning so much less subsequent anxiety to himself and theSurgeon. Yes," he added, tenderly feeling the edge of his knife,"amputation is our only resource. Is it not so, Surgeon Patella?"turning toward that gentleman, as if relying upon some sort of anassent, however clogged with conditions.
"Certainly," said Patella, "amputation is your only resource, Mr.Surgeon of the Fleet; that is, I mean, if you are fully persuaded ofits necessity."
The other surgeons said nothing, maintaining a somewhat reserved air,as if conscious that they had no positive authority in the case,whatever might be their own private opinions; but they seemed willingto behold, and, if called upon, to assist at the operation, since itcould not now be averted.
The young men, their Assistants, looked very eager, and cast frequentglances of awe upon so distinguished a practitioner as the venerableCuticle.
"They say he can drop a leg in one minute and ten seconds from themoment the knife touches it," whispered one of them to another.
"We shall see," was the reply, and the speaker clapped his hand to hisfob, to see if his watch would be forthcoming when wanted.
"Are you all ready here?" demanded Cuticle, now advancing to hissteward; "have not those fellows got through yet?" pointing to threemen of the carpenter's gang, who were placing bits of wood under thegun-carriages supporting the central table.
"They are just through, sir," respectfully answered the steward,touching his hand to his forehead, as if there were a cap-front there.
"Bring up the patient, then," said Cuticle.
"Young gentlemen," he added, turning to the row of Assistant Surgeons,"seeing you here reminds me of the classes of students once under myinstruction at the Philadelphia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Ah,those were happy days!" he sighed, applying the extreme corner of hishandkerchief to his glass-eye. "Excuse an old man's emotions, younggentlemen; but when I think of the numerous rare cases that then cameunder my treatment, I cannot but give way to my feelings. The town, thecity, the metropolis, young gentlemen, is the place for you students;at least in these dull times of peace, when the army and navy furnishno inducements for a youth ambitious of rising in our honourableprofession. Take an old man's advice, and if the war now threateningbetween the States and Mexico should break out, exchange your navycommissions for commissions in the army. From having no military marineherself, Mexico has always been backward in furnishing subjects for theamputation-tables of foreign navies. The cause of science haslanguished in her hands. The army, young gentlemen, is your bestschool; depend upon it. You will hardly believe it, Surgeon Bandage,"turning to that gentleman, "but this is my first important case ofsurgery in a nearly three years' cruise. I have been almost whollyconfined in this ship to doctor's practice prescribing for fevers andfluxes. True, the other day a man fell from the mizzen-top-sail-yard;but that was merely an aggravated case of dislocations and bonessplintered and broken. No one, sir, could have made an amputation ofit, without severely contusing his conscience. And mine--I may say it,gentlemen, without ostentation is--peculiarly susceptible."
And so saying, the knife and carver touchingly dropped to his sides,and he stood for a moment fixed in a tender reverie but a commotionbeing heard beyond the curtain, he started, and, briskly crossing andrecrossing the knife and carver, exclaimed, "Ali, here comes ourpatient; surgeons, this side of the table, if you please; younggentlemen, a little further off, I beg. Steward, take off my coat--so;my neckerchief now; I must be perfectly unencumbered, Surgeon Patella,or I can do nothing whatever."
These articles being removed, he snatched off his wig, placing it onthe gun-deck capstan; then took out his set of false teeth, and placedit by the side of the wig; and, lastly, putting his forefinger to theinner angle of his blind eye, spirited out the glass optic withprofessional dexterity, and deposited that, also, next to the wig andfalse teeth.
Thus divested of nearly all inorganic appurtenances, what was left ofthe Surgeon slightly shook itself, to see whether anything more couldbe spared to advantage.
"Carpenter's mates," he now cried, "will you never get through withthat job?"
"Almost through, sir--just through," they replied, staring round insearch of the strange, unearthly voice that addressed them; for theabsence of his teeth had not at all improved the conversational tonesof the Surgeon of the Fleet.
With natural curiosity, these men had purposely been lingering, to seeall they could; but now, having no further excuse, they snatched uptheir hammers and chisels, and--like the stage-builders decamping froma public meeting at the eleventh hour, after just completing therostrum in time for the first speaker--the Carpenter's gang withdrew.
The broad ensign now lifted, revealing a glimpse of the crowd ofman-of-war's-men outside, and the patient, borne in the arms of two ofhis mess-mates, entered the place. He was much emaciated, weak as aninfant, and every limb visibly trembled, or rather jarred, like thehead of a man with the palsy. As if an organic and involuntaryapprehension of death had seized the wounded leg, its nervous motionswere so violent that one of the mess-mates was obliged to keep his handupon it.
The top-man
was immediately stretched upon the table, the attendantssteadying his limbs, when, slowly opening his eyes, he glanced about atthe glittering knives and saws, the towels and sponges, the armedsentry at the Commodore's cabin-door, the row of eager-eyed students,the meagre death's-head of a Cuticle, now with his shirt sleeves rolledup upon his withered arms, and knife in hand, and, finally, his eyessettled in horror upon the skeleton, slowly vibrating and jinglingbefore him, with the slow, slight roll of the frigate in the water.
"I would advise perfect repose of your every limb, my man," saidCuticle, addressing him; "the precision of an operation is oftenimpaired by the inconsiderate restlessness of the patient. But if youconsider, my good fellow," he added, in a patronising and almostsympathetic tone, and slightly pressing his hand on the limb, "if youconsider how much better it is to live with three limbs than to diewith four, and especially if you but knew to what torments both sailorsand soldiers were subjected before the time of Celsus, owing to thelamentable ignorance of surgery then prevailing, you would certainlythank God from the bottom of your heart that _your_ operation has beenpostponed to the period of this enlightened age, blessed with a Bell, aBrodie, and a Lally. My man, before Celsus's time, such was the generalignorance of our noble science, that, in order to prevent the excessiveeffusion of blood, it was deemed indispensable to operate with ared-hot knife"--making a professional movement toward the thigh--"andpour scalding oil upon the parts"--elevating his elbow, as if with atea-pot in his hand--"still further to sear them, after amputation hadbeen performed."
"He is fainting!" said one of his mess-mates; "quick! some water!" Thesteward immediately hurried to the top-man with the basin.
Cuticle took the top-man by the wrist, and feeling it a while,observed, "Don't be alarmed, men," addressing the two mess-mates;"he'll recover presently; this fainting very generally takes place."And he stood for a moment, tranquilly eyeing the patient.
Now the Surgeon of the Fleet and the top-man presented a spectaclewhich, to a reflecting mind, was better than a church-yard sermon onthe mortality of man.
Here was a sailor, who four days previous, had stood erect--a pillar oflife--with an arm like a royal-mast and a thigh like a windlass. Butthe slightest conceivable finger-touch of a bit of crooked trigger hadeventuated in stretching him out, more helpless than an hour-old babe,with a blasted thigh, utterly drained of its brawn. And who was it thatnow stood over him like a superior being, and, as if clothed himselfwith the attributes of immortality, indifferently discoursed of carvingup his broken flesh, and thus piecing out his abbreviated days. Who wasit, that in capacity of Surgeon, seemed enacting the part of aRegenerator of life? The withered, shrunken, one-eyed, toothless,hairless Cuticle; with a trunk half dead--a _memento mori_ to behold!
And while, in those soul-sinking and panic-striking premonitions ofspeedy death which almost invariably accompany a severe gun-shot wound,even with the most intrepid spirits; while thus drooping and dying,this once robust top-man's eye was now waning in his head like aLapland moon being eclipsed in clouds--Cuticle, who for years had stilllived in his withered tabernacle of a body--Cuticle, no doubt sharingin the common self-delusion of old age--Cuticle must have felt his holdof life as secure as the grim hug of a grizzly bear. Verily, Life ismore awful than Death; and let no man, though his live heart beat inhim like a cannon--let him not hug his life to himself; for, in thepredestinated necessities of things, that bounding life of his is not awhit more secure than the life of a man on his death-bed. To-day weinhale the air with expanding lungs, and life runs through us like athousand Niles; but to-morrow we may collapse in death, and all ourveins be dry as the Brook Kedron in a drought.
"And now, young gentlemen," said Cuticle, turning to the AssistantSurgeons, "while the patient is coming to, permit me to describe to youthe highly-interesting operation I am about to perform."
"Mr. Surgeon of the Fleet," said Surgeon Bandage, "if you are about tolecture, permit me to present you with your teeth; they will make yourdiscourse more readily understood." And so saying, Bandage, with a bow,placed the two semicircles of ivory into Cuticle's hands.
"Thank you, Surgeon Bandage," said Cuticle, and slipped the ivory intoits place.
"In the first place, now, young gentlemen, let me direct your attentionto the excellent preparation before you. I have had it unpacked fromits case, and set up here from my state-room, where it occupies thespare berth; and all this for your express benefit, young gentlemen.This skeleton I procured in person from the Hunterian department of theRoyal College of Surgeons in London. It is a masterpiece of art. But wehave no time to examine it now. Delicacy forbids that I should amplifyat a juncture like this"--casting an almost benignant glance toward thepatient, now beginning to open his eyes; "but let me point out to youupon this thigh-bone"--disengaging it from the skeleton, with a gentletwist--"the precise place where I propose to perform the operation._Here_, young gentlemen, _here_ is the place. You perceive it is verynear the point of articulation with the trunk."
"Yes," interposed Surgeon Wedge, rising on his toes, "yes, younggentlemen, the point of articulation with the _acetabulum_ of the _osinnominatum_."
"Where's your Bell on Bones, Dick?" whispered one of the assistants tothe student next him. "Wedge has been spending the whole morning overit, getting out the hard names."
"Surgeon Wedge," said Cuticle, looking round severely, "we willdispense with your commentaries, if you please, at present. Now, younggentlemen, you cannot but perceive, that the point of operation beingso near the trunk and the vitals, it becomes an unusually beautifulone, demanding a steady hand and a true eye; and, after all, thepatient may die under my hands."
"Quick, Steward! water, water; he's fainting again!" cried the twomess-mates.
"Don't be alarmed for your comrade; men," said Cuticle, turning round."I tell you it is not an uncommon thing for the patient to betray someemotion upon these occasions--most usually manifested by swooning; itis quite natural it should be so. But we must not delay the operation.Steward, that knife--no, the next one--there, that's it. He is comingto, I think"--feeling the top-man's wrist. "Are you all ready, sir?"
This last observation was addressed to one of the Never-sink'sassistant surgeons, a tall, lank, cadaverous young man, arrayed in asort of shroud of white canvas, pinned about his throat, and completelyenveloping his person. He was seated on a match-tub--the skeletonswinging near his head--at the foot of the table, in readiness to graspthe limb, as when a plank is being severed by a carpenter and hisapprentice.
"The sponges, Steward," said Cuticle, for the last time taking out histeeth, and drawing up his shirt sleeves still further. Then, taking thepatient by the wrist, "Stand by, now, you mess-mates; keep hold of hisarms; pin him down. Steward, put your hand on the artery; I shallcommence as soon as his pulse begins to--_now, now!_" Letting fall thewrist, feeling the thigh carefully, and bowing over it an instant, hedrew the fatal knife unerringly across the flesh. As it first touchedthe part, the row of surgeons simultaneously dropped their eyes to thewatches in their hands while the patient lay, with eyes horriblydistended, in a kind of waking trance. Not a breath was heard; but asthe quivering flesh parted in a long, lingering gash, a spring of bloodwelled up between the living walls of the wounds, and two thickstreams, in opposite directions, coursed down the thigh. The spongeswere instantly dipped in the purple pool; every face present waspinched to a point with suspense; the limb writhed; the man shrieked;his mess-mates pinioned him; while round and round the leg went theunpitying cut.
"The saw!" said Cuticle.
Instantly it was in his hand.
Full of the operation, he was about to apply it, when, looking up, andturning to the assistant surgeons, he said, "Would any of you younggentlemen like to apply the saw? A splendid subject!"
Several volunteered; when, selecting one, Cuticle surrendered theinstrument to him, saying, "Don't be hurried, now; be steady."
While the rest of the assistants looked upon their comrade with glancesof envy
, he went rather timidly to work; and Cuticle, who was earnestlyregarding him, suddenly snatched the saw from his hand. "Away, butcher!you disgrace the profession. Look at _me!_"
For a few moments the thrilling, rasping sound was heard; and then thetop-man seemed parted in twain at the hip, as the leg slowly slid intothe arms of the pale, gaunt man in the shroud, who at once made awaywith it, and tucked it out of sight under one of the guns.
"Surgeon Sawyer," now said Cuticle, courteously turning to the surgeonof the Mohawk, "would you like to take up the arteries? They are quiteat your service, sir."
"Do, Sawyer; be prevailed upon," said Surgeon Bandage.
Sawyer complied; and while, with some modesty he was conducting theoperation, Cuticle, turning to the row of assistants said, "Younggentlemen, we will now proceed with our Illustration. Hand me thatbone, Steward." And taking the thigh-bone in his still bloody hands,and holding it conspicuously before his auditors, the Surgeon of theFleet began:
"Young gentlemen, you will perceive that precisely at thisspot--_here_--to which I previously directed your attention--at thecorresponding spot precisely--the operation has been performed. Abouthere, young gentlemen, here"--lifting his hand some inches from thebone--"about _here_ the great artery was. But you noticed that I didnot use the tourniquet; I never do. The forefinger of my steward is farbetter than a tourniquet, being so much more manageable, and leavingthe smaller veins uncompressed. But I have been told, young gentlemen,that a certain Seignior Seignioroni, a surgeon of Seville, has recentlyinvented an admirable substitute for the clumsy, old-fashionedtourniquet. As I understand it, it is something like a pair of_calipers_, working with a small Archimedes screw--a very cleverinvention, according to all accounts. For the padded points at the endof the arches"--arching his forefinger and thumb--"can be so worked asto approximate in such a way, as to--but you don't attend to me, younggentlemen," he added, all at once starting.
Being more interested in the active proceedings of Surgeon Sawyer, whowas now threading a needle to sew up the overlapping of the stump, theyoung gentlemen had not scrupled to turn away their attentionaltogether from the lecturer.
A few moments more, and the top-man, in a swoon, was removed below intothe sick-bay. As the curtain settled again after the patient haddisappeared, Cuticle, still holding the thigh-bone of the skeleton inhis ensanguined hands, proceeded with his remarks upon it; and havingconcluded them, added, "Now, young gentlemen, not the least interestingconsequence of this operation will be the finding of the ball, which,in case of non-amputation, might have long eluded the most carefulsearch. That ball, young gentlemen, must have taken a most circuitousroute. Nor, in cases where the direction is oblique, is this at allunusual. Indeed, the learned Henner gives us a most remarkable--I hadalmost said an incredible--case of a soldier's neck, where the bullet,entering at the part called Adam's Apple--"
"Yes," said Surgeon Wedge, elevating himself, "the _pomum Adami_."
"Entering the point called _Adam's Apple_," continued Cuticle, severelyemphasising the last two words, "ran completely round the neck, and,emerging at the same hole it had entered, shot the next man in theranks. It was afterward extracted, says Renner, from the second man,and pieces of the other's skin were found adhering to it. But examplesof foreign substances being received into the body with a ball, younggentlemen, are frequently observed. Being attached to a United Statesship at the time, I happened to be near the spot of the battle ofAyacucho, in Peru. The day after the action, I saw in the barracks ofthe wounded a trooper, who, having been severely injured in the brain,went crazy, and, with his own holster-pistol, committed suicide in thehospital. The ball drove inward a portion of his woollen night-cap----"
"In the form of a _cul-de-sac_, doubtless," said the undaunted Wedge.
"For once, Surgeon Wedge, you use the only term that can be employed;and let me avail myself of this opportunity to say to you, younggentlemen, that a man of true science"--expanding his shallow chest alittle--"uses but few hard words, and those only when none other willanswer his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science"--slightlyglancing toward Wedge--"thinks, that by mouthing hard words, he provesthat he understands hard things. Let this sink deep in your minds,young gentlemen; and, Surgeon Wedge "--with a stiff bow--"permit me tosubmit the reflection to yourself. Well, young gentlemen, the bulletwas afterward extracted by pulling upon the external parts of the_cul-de-sac_--a simple, but exceedingly beautiful operation. There is afine example, somewhat similar, related in Guthrie; but, of course, youmust have met with it, in so well-known a work as his Treatise uponGun-shot Wounds. When, upward of twenty years ago, I was with LordCochrane, then Admiral of the fleets of this very country"--pointingshoreward, out of a port-hole--"a sailor of the vessel to which I wasattached, during the blockade of Bahia, had his leg----" But by thistime the fidgets had completely taken possession of his auditors,especially of the senior surgeons; and turning upon them abruptly, headded, "But I will not detain you longer, gentlemen"--turning roundupon all the surgeons--"your dinners must be waiting you on board yourrespective ships. But, Surgeon Sawyer, perhaps you may desire to washyour hands before you go. There is the basin, sir; you will find aclean towel on the rammer. For myself, I seldom use them"--taking outhis handkerchief. "I must leave you now, gentlemen"--bowing."To-morrow, at ten, the limb will be upon the table, and I shall behappy to see you all upon the occasion. Who's there?" turning to thecurtain, which then rustled.
"Please, sir," said the Steward, entering, "the patient is dead."
"The body also, gentlemen, at ten precisely," said Cuticle, once moreturning round upon his guests. "I predicted that the operation mightprove fatal; he was very much run down. Good-morning;" and Cuticledeparted.
"He does not, surely, mean to touch the body?" exclaimed SurgeonSawyer, with much excitement.
"Oh, no!" said Patella, "that's only his way; he means, doubtless, thatit may be inspected previous to being taken ashore for burial."
The assemblage of gold-laced surgeons now ascended to the quarter-deck;the second cutter was called away by the bugler, and, one by one, theywere dropped aboard of their respective ships.
The following evening the mess-mates of the top-man rowed his remainsashore, and buried them in the ever-vernal Protestant cemetery, hard bythe Beach of the Flamingoes, in plain sight from the bay.