The Viennese Opera Ball
The Viennese Opera Ball (第1/3页)
Idonotliketoseeanelegantpairofforceps!Blundellstated.Lettheinstrumentlookwhatitis,aformidableweapon!Arte,nonvi(art,notstrength)maybeusefullyengravedupononeblade;andCareperineo(takecareoftheperineum)ontheother.Hiscompanionreplied:Thetestofadoctorsprognosticacumenistodetermhetimetogiveupmedicinalanddieteticmeasuresandemptytheuterus,andoverhesitancytodothisiscondemnable,eventhoughhonorableIdonotmeanthatweshouldperformtherapeuticabortionwithalightspirit.Onthecontrary,Iamslowtoadoptitandalwayshaveproperconsultation.Ifontheotherhandabearkillsaman,someonesaid,theCrochesimmediatelyorganizeahunt,captureabear,lollit,eatitsheart,andthrowouttherestofthemeat;theysavetheskin,whichwiththeheadofthebeastservesasashroudforthedeadman.AmongtheVogulsthenearestrelativewasrequiredtoseekrevenge.TheGoldihavethesamecustominregardtothetiger;theykillhimandburyhimwiththislittlespeech:Nowweareeven,youhavekilledoneofours,wehavekilledoneofyours.Nowletusliveinpeace.Dontdisturbusagain,orwewillkillyou.CarolaMitt,brown-haired,brown-eyedandjustneen,wasborninBerlin(realname:Mittenstein),leftGermanyfiveyearsago.InhersenioryearattheConventoftheSacredHeartinGreenwich,Conn.,CarolawenttotheVienneseOperaBallattheWaldorf-Astoria,wasspottedbyaGlamoureditor.
Imean,thedoctorresumed,weshouldstudyeachpatientthoroughlyandemptytheuterusbeforeshehasretinitis;beforejaundicehasshownthatthereismarkedliverdamage;beforeshehaspolyneuritis;beforeshehastoxicmyocarditis;beforeherbrainisdegenerated,etal——anditcanbedone.MeyerDavisplayedfortheVienneseOperaBall.Copperplateprinters,saidaman,deliverSocietyPrintinginneat,stylishboxes.Theyarecompelledtoslipsheettheworkwithtissuepaper,anexpensetheletterpressprintermayavoid,ifcareful.Boxes,coveredwithenameledpaperforcardsandalllandsofSocietyPrinting,areonsaletocarrythecorrectsizes.Nomatterhowexcellentyourworkandqualitymaybe,womenwhoknowthecorrectpracticewillnotbesatisfiedunlessthepackagesareasneatasthosesentoutbythecopperplateprinters.Thedevilisnotaswickedaspeoplebelieve,andneitherisanAlbanian.(CarolaMittsoondroppedherplanstobeapainter,made$60anhourunderthelights,appearedonthecoversofVogue,HarpersBazaar,MademoiselleandGlamour,sharedaGreenwichVillageapartmentwithanothergirl,yearnedtogetmarriedandliveinCalifornia.Butthatwaslater.)
TheGlamoureditorsaid:TakeDoloresWettach.DoloresWettachislush,Lorenesque,anddoublyforeign(herfatherisSwiss,hermotherSwedish);shemovedattheageoffivefromSwitzerlandtoFlushing,N.Y.,whereherfathersetupaminkranch.Nowabouttwenty-four("Youlearnnottobetooaccurate"),DoloreswaselectedMissVermontinthe1956MissUniversecontest,graduatedin1957fromtheUniversityofVermontwithaB.S.innursing.Nowmakes$60anhour.WhileDoloresWettachwasworkingasanurseatManhattansDoctorsHospital,asharp-eyedphotographersawbeyondherheavyOxfords,askedhertopose.Dyingremarks:OliverGoldsmith,1728-74,Britishpoet,playwrightandnovelist,wasasked:Isyourmindatease?Hereplied:No,itisnot,anddied.Hegel:Onlyonemaneverunderstoodme.Andhedidntunderstandme.HartCrane,1899-1932,poet,ashejumpedintothesea:Goodbye,everybody!TonsofpeoplecametotheVienneseOperaBall.Atnoon,thefirstdoctorsaid,onJanuary31,1943,whilewalking,thepatientwasseizedwithsuddensevereabdominalpainandprofusevaginalbleeding.Shewasadmittedtothehospitalat1P.M.inastateofexsanguination.Shepresentedatender,rigidabdomenanduterus.Bloodpressure110/60.Pulserate110——thready.Fetalheartnotheard.Patientwasgivenintravenousbloodatonce.ThemembraneswererupturedartificiallyandaSpanishwindlasswasapplied.Laborprogressedrapidly.At6P.M.,a5-poundstillborninfantwasdeliveredbylowforceps.HemorrhagepersistedfollowingdeliveryinspiteofhypodermicPituitrin,intravenousergotrate,andfirmuterinepacking.Bloodtransfusionhadbeenmaintainedcontinuously.At9P.M.alaparotomywasdone,andaCouvelaireuteruswithtubesandovarieswasremovedbysupracervicalhysterectomy.Thecloseadherenceofthetubesandovariestothefundusnecessitatedtheirremoval.Patientstoodsurgerywell.Atotalof2000c.c.ofwholebloodand1500c.c.ofwholeplasmahadbeenadministered.Convalescencewassatisfactory,andthepatientwasdismissedonthefourteenthpostoperativeday.Waiterswithdrinkscirculatedamongtheball-goers.
CarolaMittmetIsabellaAlbonicoattheVienneseOperaBall.IsabellaAlbonico,Italianbytemperamentaswellasbybirth(twenty-fouryearsago,inFlorence),beganmodelinginEuropewhenshewasfifteen,arrivedinNewYorkfouryearsago.Brown-hairedandbrown-eyed,shehashadcoversonVogue,HarpersBazaarandLife,makes$60anhour,andhaswon,shesays,"areputationforbeingallergictobeingpummeledaroundunderthelights.Nobodytouchesme."Ientirelyendorsetheseopinions,saidamanstandingnearby,andwouldonlyaddthatthewifecandomuchtoavertthatfatalmaritalennuibyindependentinterestswhichshepersuadeshimtoshare.Forinstance,aninterestingbook,orjourney,orlectureorconcert,experienced,enjoyedanddescribedbyher,withsympathyandhumor,mayoftenbeatalismantodiverthismindfromworkandworry,andalltheirritationsarisingtherefrom.But,ofcourse,he,onhisside,mustbeabletoappreciateherappreciationandherconversation.Thestimulitothepenilenervesmaydifferindegre
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