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Page 27
The "case" lying on the end table had been in the C.C.S. for several
days. He had undergone operation as soon as he arrived. At that time he
only had a small surface-wound below the knee, but it was slightly
gangrenous. The next day the gas-gangrene appeared above the knee-joint.
The wound was excised a second time. But soon afterwards gangrene
appeared again, still higher up, and a third operation was necessary.
And now the wound stretched from below the knee almost as far as the
hip. It was shallow, but as broad as a hand and of a greyish-green
colour. The man breathed feebly and his eyes were turned up so that
only the whites were visible. He received gas. Amputation was impossible
for the gangrene had reached too far. The wound was excised, but the
surgeon said: "I'm afraid he's done for, poor fellow." The man's
breathing became almost imperceptible. The oxygen cylinder was sent for,
the rubber tube was pushed in between the blue lips, and the gas rushed
through. In a few seconds he had revived and gave loud and regular
snorts, jerking back his head and shaking his body with each ingoing
breath. He was taken back to the ward and put back to bed. He began to
talk volubly about his wife and children. Within half an hour he was
dead.
"Just go and see if there are many left in the Prep.," said Captain
Dowden to his orderly.
The orderly came back and reported that there were hardly a dozen.
"Any Huns amongst them?"
"Four or five, sir."
"Are we still receiving?"
"No, sir, we stopped about an hour ago. There won't be any more cases
arriving to-night, sir."
"Good--we shall be able to get off early, at two or three in the morning
if we're lucky. We can take things easy a bit."
The bearers came in with a stretcher.
"Take it easy, bearers. There's no hurry--we haven't got many more to
do. Just put him on that table there."
The newcomer's left leg was thickly bandaged, but the blood was oozing
through and forming a pool on the table. When the bandage was removed,
Captain Dowden examined the limb, but no injury was visible on the upper
surface. I grasped the foot--it was blue and cold. I raised it, so that
the surgeon could look at the under-surface of the leg. As I did so, the
calf gave way in the middle. He told me angrily to pull harder. I pulled
until the leg was taut again. The muscles and the sinews squeaked
faintly as they stretched. Underneath the calf was a big hole and the
bone had been completely shattered. The man was strangely quiet. His
bare chest did not move. I looked at his face and suddenly I saw his
lower jaw drop. He was dead.
"Another slab for the mortuary!"
The remaining tables were empty and no more wounded were brought in for
a while. The bearers were obeying the surgeon's order and were taking a
rest. The officers and sisters in the theatre were in high spirits. They
were trying to speak French and ridiculing each other's efforts. Captain
Wycherley began to hum a tune and wave his amputation knife like the
conductor of an orchestra, whereupon the others locked arms and danced
up and down the theatre, talking and joking. Then Captain Calthrop broke
away and danced by himself, kicking his legs up in the air. The Sisters
watched him and laughed loudly. One of them could hardly control
herself, and shrieking with laughter, cried:
"Oh, Captain Calthrop, you really are _too_ funny!"
Captain Dowden had not joined in the merrymaking. He was standing by the
table on which the corpse was lying. He smiled uneasily and said to an
orderly: "Tie up his jaw and his feet and hands and take him away. And
tell the bearers to get a move on. Let's get finished as quickly as
possible."
The orderly pushed the dead man's lower jaw sharply against the upper,
so that the teeth clicked, and kept it in position by tying a bandage
right round the head. Then he crossed the dead hands and feet and tied
them together also.
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