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- 2026-01-30T20:48:36.274Z
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- 10128
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- search. That ball, young gentlemen, must have taken a most circuitous
route. Nor, in cases where the direction is oblique, is this at all
unusual. Indeed, the learned Henner gives us a most remarkable—I had
almost 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, severely
emphasising the last two words, “ran completely round the neck, and,
emerging at the same hole it had entered, shot the next man in the
ranks. It was afterward extracted, says Renner, from the second man,
and pieces of the other’s skin were found adhering to it. But examples
of foreign substances being received into the body with a ball, young
gentlemen, are frequently observed. Being attached to a United States
ship at the time, I happened to be near the spot of the battle of
Ayacucho, in Peru. The day after the action, I saw in the barracks of
the wounded a trooper, who, having been severely injured in the brain,
went crazy, and, with his own holster-pistol, committed suicide in the
hospital. 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, young
gentlemen, that a man of true science”—expanding his shallow chest a
little—“uses but few hard words, and those only when none other will
answer his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science”—slightly glancing
toward Wedge—“thinks, that by mouthing hard words, he proves that he
understands hard things. Let this sink deep in your minds, young
gentlemen; and, Surgeon Wedge “—with a stiff bow—“permit me to submit
the reflection to yourself. Well, young gentlemen, the bullet was
afterward extracted by pulling upon the external parts of the
_cul-de-sac_—a simple, but exceedingly beautiful operation. There is a
fine example, somewhat similar, related in Guthrie; but, of course, you
must have met with it, in so well-known a work as his Treatise upon
Gun-shot Wounds. When, upward of twenty years ago, I was with Lord
Cochrane, then Admiral of the fleets of this very country”—pointing
shoreward, out of a port-hole—“a sailor of the vessel to which I was
attached, during the blockade of Bahia, had his leg——” But by this time
the fidgets had completely taken possession of his auditors, especially
of the senior surgeons; and turning upon them abruptly, he added, “But
I will not detain you longer, gentlemen”—turning round upon all the
surgeons—“your dinners must be waiting you on board your respective
ships. But, Surgeon Sawyer, perhaps you may desire to wash your hands
before you go. There is the basin, sir; you will find a clean towel on
the rammer. For myself, I seldom use them”—taking out his handkerchief.
“I must leave you now, gentlemen”—bowing. “To-morrow, at ten, the limb
will be upon the table, and I shall be happy to see you all upon the
occasion. Who’s there?” turning to the curtain, which then rustled.
“Please, sir,” said the Steward, entering, “the patient is dead.”
“The body also, gentlemen, at ten precisely,” said Cuticle, once more
turning round upon his guests. “I predicted that the operation might
prove fatal; he was very much run down. Good-morning;” and Cuticle
departed.
“He does not, surely, mean to touch the body?” exclaimed Surgeon
Sawyer, with much excitement.
“Oh, no!” said Patella, “that’s only his way; he means, doubtless, that
it 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, they
were dropped aboard of their respective ships.
The following evening the mess-mates of the top-man rowed his remains
ashore, and buried them in the ever-vernal Protestant cemetery, hard by
the Beach of the Flamingoes, in plain sight from the bay.
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