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The mans condition was pitiful. One eye was completely blown out and the flesh of his face, chest, neck and arms was blown full of dirt, rocks and wood splinters of various sizes. Dr. Yates' decision was immediate. The man could not be hauled in a wagon on a two day journey over the old stage road to find a clinic or hospital. There was not a nurse, or anyone else in town who knew the first thing about assisting a surgeon, but there were plenty of well wishing by standers. Dr Yates ordered some clean sheets and buckets of boiled water from the Hotel, picked out some of the most likely looking by-standers to help, and went to work. He handed one man an ether mask and a bottle of ether, assigned another to watch the pulse, and picked two or three others to hold the instruments all, of course, dressed in their working clothes as they came from the street. In short order the victim was asleep, and his face and chest were covered with clamps, scissors like instruments, knives and tools, while the Doctor sat on a dry-goods box, gave instructions and sewed away, Curious towns-folk and kids came and went at will to take a peek at the proceedings. The smell of the ether and the sight of the operation soon got the best of the helpers, so, one by one they would ask another by-stander to relieve them while they went out for some fresh air and a drink of whisky. By the time the operation was completed, the helpers were almost as completely anesthetized as the patient. By dusk the patient was swathed in bandages, and a couple of other helpers were assigned to watch over him during the night. Cap had witnessed most of the proceedings, as he had been appointed errand boy to carry water and other materials between the Hotel and the scene of the operation. In two or three weeks Belore was on his feet again, no infections had settled in his dozens of wounds, one eye was saved and the socket of the other one was sewn up as neatly as could be expected. In months, Belore was out blasting stumps again. |
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