Brewster 'A Glimpse of War through a Private's Eyes', a retrospective account of experiences in World War I, 1915-1917 / John James Brewster - Page 220
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[Page 220]
the next thing the patient knew was opening his eyes momentarily seeing two Doctors strenuously struggling to hold the right arm, while the other held the left as well as he could. The patient looked up into the face of the operating Doctor and said Oh! I'm sorry! & then "went off" again. Shortly afterwards, opening his eyes, was asked by one of the Doctors What did you say, I'm sorry! for?
The patient replied, For bringing you here! & again lapsed into unconciousness.
"Coming to" after a little while & the effect of the anesthetic wearing off, on looking round the room & noting where he was, the patient burst into laughter, and jumping from the table explained the situation.
While under the anesthetic the patient was under the illusion he was chasing a Hun along a Railway Line each running along the sleepers. The race was a hard one, but the Hun was getting away & the patient was getting wild & disappointed, he then missed his footing & fell on his shoulder into the bottom of a culvert when upon opening his eyes, he saw the operating Doctor alongside him & he then said "He was sorry", & when the other Doctor asked him Why! replied, "For bringing you here!".
Of course when he properly recovered from the effect of the anesthetic he saw that he had been suffering from an hallucination, and "burst out laughing". The explanation made the three Doctors "burst out laughing" in which the patient heartily joined.
One of the Doctors sat down & he & the patient had an interesting chat, after which the orderlies were called with the stretcher, but the patient insisted he could walk, & walked without assistance back to the ward, although the walk was here & there a little bit "rocky".
Before leaving the theatre the Doctor informed the patient that every Doctor