TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD AND CONFUSION OF IDEAS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 449, 22 November 1875, Page 3

TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD AND CONFUSION OF IDEAS.

AN AMUSING EXPERIMENT. Old Dobbs is a deacon of the church, renowned for his pious ways. Some time ago he fell sick, and his life was despaired of. He was at death’s door. His wife read the papers diligently, and a happy thought struck her. She called the doctor aside and said—* Doctor, don’t you think that the transfusion of blood from [some healthy person into poor dear Levi’s system would carry him through this awful illness ?’ Doctor—‘Don’t know but what it might. We’ll try it, anyhow. But whom can you get that will stand the operation. He’s mighty low down, and he’ll want two pounds.’ ‘ Mercy, as much as that?’ ‘Oh, yes, maybe more. That’s the trouble, you see. I’d let him have an ounce or two of mine; but a couple of pounds would kill me.’ ‘Let me see. There’s old Brown. No, he wouldn’t do ; he’s apoplectic. And there’s young Robinson, maybe—but I’m afraid he woudn’t do either. There’s a taint of insanity in the family. There’s Jones. But he drinks awful, and I don’t think his blood can be good. There’s Mrs Pipkins and Mrs O’Callaghan, but they are both nursing. And—oh, now I know who’ll do it. He’s a mighty good neighbour of ours, too. ’ Mrs Levi Dobbs dashed out of doors, and in about ton minutes returned with Mr Dibbs, a fat, red-faced grocer, an ex-prize figlPer, and their neighbour. Mrs Dobbs didn’t know anything about him ; but as he often sent her by his freckle-faced maid-of-all-work a mackerel or two and a slice of cheese and some dried apples—which was in order to stand well with the church folks and get custom —she was beholden to him,

and believed him an exemplary man. Mr Bibbs’ right arm was bared, lanced, and the transfusing tube was applied to the orifice. Old Dobbs was lying on the bed greaning, and oblivious to his earthly surroundings. By-and-bye Dobbs began to feel the fresh blood surging in his veins. He raised one hand up and looked vacantly and feebly around. Mrs Dobbs was in ecstacies. By-and-bye old Dobbs sat bolt upright in bed, and in a drunken, idiotic way ejaculated, * Whassermasser.’ A fresh vein in Dobbs’ left arm was tapped, then both legs, and then his back, all the while Dobbs getting livelier and stronger, and Dibbs weaker and weaker. Finally, as an unusually strong flood surged into his now repleted system, Dobbs bounced out of bed, danced a Highland reel and an Irish jig, seized a chair and banged it against the wall, doubled his fists and squared off at Dibbs, gave him ‘ one for his nob,’ ‘knocked him off his pins, ’ and yelled, the while dancing up and down, ‘ I kin lik any man in Ameriky for 500 dols a side ; put up or shut up.’ Mrs Dobbs screamed and fan for help. The doctor looked watch and said he had an engagement, and went off, leaving Dobbs squaring off at imaginary foes, knocking them ‘ into the middle of next week,’ and old Dibbs on his knees, praying in the loud and sonorous voice affected by Dobbs. Things have quieted down since then, but the transformations that j have taken place are remarkable. Dibbs goes to church regularly, while Dobbs leads his wife a ‘ devil’s dance,’ and gets drunk every Saturday night, and has been arrested several times for disorderly conduct. — Danbury News.