Cape Breton's Magazine

in, then." So, we got everything arranged. She was the first in the hospital. Okay. So we got along all right, got her appen? dix out okay. It wasn't the first time I'd been into an abdomen or removed an appen? dix, or repaired it afterwards. (Had you been in a lot of times?) No. Two or three. I was very thankful to the Almighty when we got her all sewed up and she was doing fine. Look, you wouldn't believe how lucky we were in the wintertime there. We only had 3 or 4 people that we had to go into abdo? mens in--when did they start opening roads? 1949--7 years. In those 7 winters, I think we only had 4 abdominal operations. The roads weren't opened. People didn't get sick. The Aspy usually stopped in De- cember or early January. And from then un- SAFETY keep away, it may be live and dangerous. Guard it, and send someone to cail us. nova scotia power corporation til sometime the end of April, we were sealed off pretty well. (And people didn't bother getting sick?) That's right. And you know, in the hospitals in those days, we were terrified of infection, postopera? tive infections. We had no antibiotics--it was before that time. I said to Dr. Mac? Leod in Whycocomagh, "What should I do for the infections after surgery, and repairs of wounds?" "Forget about them," he said, "they don't get sick from their own germs!" And he was right--they don't. In their own homes, they don't get sick. He said, "In the hospitals, they have np resistance to somebody else's bugs." (Before there was a doctor down there, I take it that there were midwives.) There was a doctor there in the 1920s, Dr. H. A. Grant. And he was an old-time country prac? titioner, a very sound one. He didn't know perhaps as much as we did later on, but his principles were sound. He was bom and brought up in Boularderie. And he prac? tised two sessions down at Neil's Harbour, the last one being in the mid-1920s. He could do all the ordinary surgical proce? dures that you had to do in the home and that sort of thing. He was very good at setting fractures. But in Smelt Brook, in Cape North, in Bay St. Lawrence, in Black Point and Capstick and Meat Cove, and in Ingonish and in South Ingonish, and in Neil's Harbour--he trained women. The lady in South Ingonish was a registered nurse, but some of those women couldn't read or write. But the sim? ple rules he gave them, for midwifery, they couldn't do any'harm. And they could save lives in a lot of acute episodes that AHIIARIOUS ANTIPOTEIO LIFE'S OOP MOMENTS.. by Stuart Trueman This sparkling collection of short pieces and poems, illustrated with the author's own draw? ings, is brimming with the wit and charm that have won Stuart Trueman the Stephen Leacock humour Award and made him one of Canada's best-known and best-loved humorists. Now available in paper $7.95 /''' McClelland and Stewart '*3'The Canadian Publishers VOLUME ONE BOOKSTORE Port Hawkesbury Centre Port Hawkesbury, N. S. BOE 2V0 625-1514 Paperbacks * Hardcover Books * Children's Section Gift Books * Local Interest Titles * Magazines Newspapers * Art Supplies SPECIAL ORDER SERVICES We accept phone and mail orders. We will mail anywhere. (6)