Journal of Dr GFW

Last evening I had placed myself by the side of a comfortable fire and in pleasant company, a summons was received couched in strong terms of distress, requesting an immediate attendance. The distance said to be about ten miles. Indeed I thought it twenty. The road was most dreadful, in the night, and the weather was quite cool, so that in riding that distance I was quite chilly. I found the man in extreme agony, walking the room for a few moments and then resting his head on his wife's lap. I shall never forget this moment. After having warmed and learned the history of the case and that an inflammation had occurred near the joint of the lower jaw and a very little motion created much pain, all attended with high arterial excitement and nausea at the stomach. As I was preparing some medicine for him to take, he said, for God's sake, Doctor, don't give me a puke, for it will kill me, and this was the very identical medicine I had intended to administer. I merely mentioned that I would attend to it. I gave him one portion and so every fifteen minutes until I had given the third, when I observed the sweat begin to appear, and in a few moments, he exclaimed, Oh! Doctor, this will make me puke, Oh! how sick I feel. Good God, it will kill me. But any further exclamations was hushed by copious vomiting and the jaw that could not before be opened, was now extended its full length, and in the space of a half hour he was completely relieved and slept all night thereafter. I felt for the man, but it was with much difficulty I could restrain my visibility from bursting into extravagant laughter. After he had become composed, I retired to bed and the morning came and I was once more on the road for home, and I found it fully as bad as I had concluded it was last night.