Snapshots Supplementary Reader Chapter 7 Birth

At last, Andrew Manson had some sense of satisfaction. He had saved a precious life. He was a young doctor. Being a doctor, it was his duty to save a life. He saved not one but two lives. First of all, he gave a new lease of life to Susan Morgan. He brought her to safety. But his most creditable work was the saving of Susan’s child. The nurse had put the stillborn child into a heap of old newspapers beneath the bed. She had almost considered him dead. The saving of the child from the sure jaws of death was nothing less than a miracle. Doctor Andrew Manson was able to perform that miracle. He felt contented that at last he had done something real. He gave a new lease of life to the new born of Susan Morgan.

Andrew Manson had done his duty. It was nearly midnight. He found Joe Morgan waiting for him. His wife needed immediate help. Andrew lost no time. He had no idea that this night call would prove unusual. He took no time in deciding what he should do first. First he saved the mother who lay collapsed, almost pulseless. Then he made frantic and heroic efforts to save the child. He performed nothing less than a miracle. He felt relieved and satisfied after doing it.

Textbook provides specific medicines for the treatment of different diseases. But the reality is stranger than fiction. Therefore, there lies a great difference between textbook medicine and the world of a practising physician. A practising physician has to deal with all kinds of situations. Sometimes the textbook medicines and treatments don’t click. Every doctor has to decide each case on merit. This is exactly what happens with Andrew Manson. He acts not strictly according to the textbook but acts instinctively. The results are wonderful. He saves first the mother and then the child who was considered to be dead.

Andrew Manson has to make a choice. He is torn between his desire to ‘resuscitate the child’ and his obligation toward the mother. No textbook can come to his help. The dilemma is very urgent. He acts blindly and instinctively. He acts on the spur of the moment. He plunges the child into the basins of icy and hot water. The method clicks. A miracle is performed when the almost stillborn child starts gasping and crying.

Medical science has taken a long stride. Advancement in surgery has brought a revolution in the lives of human beings. People have been brought back to life from the jaws of death through prompt medical help. Organ transplantation and organ regeneration are some of the new medical procedures. They are frequently used to save human lives.

Instances of kidney transplantation are quite common.

I remember one incident where a kidney transplantation saved a human life. There was an appeal from a kidney patient in all the leading newspapers. Both of his kidneys had failed. Prompt transplantation of a healthy kidney could save his life. At last, the man found a donor. The operation was successful. The organ transplantation brought him back to life from the brink of death.

It was nearly midnight. The young doctor Andrew Manson reached Bryngower. He found Joe Morgan waiting for him. Joe was a driller. Joe and his wife had been married nearly twenty years. They were expecting their first child. She needed immediate medical help before time. The driller’s face expressed relief at the sight of the doctor.

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Andrew abruptly recalled his own affairs. Actually, he was returning from a disappointing evening with Christine, the girl he loved. He felt dull and listless. His thoughts were heavy and muddled. He was thinking of those persons whose marriages were dismal failures. He wished to consider marriage as an instrument of happiness.

The doctor reached the door of No. 12, Blaina Terrace. Inside, a narrow stair led up to a small bedroom. It was clean but poorly furnished. It was lit only by an oil lamp. Mrs. Morgan’s mother, a tall, gray-haired woman of nearly seventy was beside the patient. An elderly midwife was with her.

The old woman was Mrs. Morgan’s mother. She was wise in experience. She realised that there must be ‘a period of waiting’. She feared that the doctor might leave the case saying he would return later. The doctor assured the old woman that he wouldn’t run away. He would remain until everything was over.

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Andrew’s thoughts were heavy and muddled. He thought of Bramwell. He was foolishly devoted to a woman who deceived him. He thought of Edward Page who lived unhappily apart from his wife. His reason told him that all these marriages were dismal failures. He wished to consider marriage as an idyllic state. The image of Christine, the girl he loved, always came before his eyes.

Andrew Manson was in a state of conflict. He hesitated to move forward. Actually, he was torn between two desires. His first desire was to attempt to save the child. On the other hand, he had his obligation toward the mother also. She was herself in a desperate state. He was in a dilemma.

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The dilemma before the doctor was whether to save the mother first or her child. The dilemma was so urgent that he couldn’t solve it consciously. Instinctively, he gave the child to the nurse and turned his attention to Susan Morgan. She lay collapsed, almost pulseless. It took him only an instant to inject the medicine. After a few minutes of feverish efforts he succeeded in saving Susan Morgan.

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The elderly midwife was sure that the child was stillborn or lifeless. She had placed it beneath the bed. When the doctor asked for the child, the midwife made a frightened gesture. In a flash Andrew knelt down. He pulled the child from among the dirty newspapers below the bed.

The child was a boy. He was perfectly formed. His limp warm body was white and soft. The cord was hastily slashed. The head lolled on the thin neck. The limbs seemed boneless. His whiteness showed that he suffered from ‘asphyxia pallida’. It meant lack of oxygen in the blood.

The doctor laid the child upon a blanket and began the special method of respiration. He took two basins. Like some crazy juggler he plunged the child into the icy water. Then he hurried him into the other basin containing steaming water. After labouring in vain for 15 minutes a sense of defeat pressed on him.

The doctor laboured in vain for half an hour. He still persisted in one last effort. He continued rubbing the child with a rough towel. He went on ‘crushing and releasing’ the little chest with both his hands. He was trying to get breath into that limp body. A miracle took place. The child gave a short heave. The doctor redoubled his efforts feverishly. The child was gasping and finally came the cry.

The doctor’s frantic efforts succeeded in giving a new lease of life to the child. He gasped and his limbs were no longer boneless. His colour was slowly turning pink. Then finally came the child’s cry. The nurse sobbed hysterically and thanked God. The old woman stood against the wall. She was praying. The child’s mother was still not fully conscious.

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The doctor went downstairs. Outside he found Joe standing on the pavement. His face was tense but expectant. The doctor disclosed that everything was fine. Both the mother and the child were safe and sound. Joe heaved a sigh of relief.

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The doctor had done his duty. He had saved two human lives. The mother lay collapsed, pulseless. He saved her first. Then a miracle took place. After frantic efforts he was successful in saving the child too. He thanked God and felt a sense of relief. He was satisfied that as a doctor he did “something real at last”.

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The excerpt has been given quite a suitable and sensible title. The whole episode revolves round the birth of a child. First the doctor saved the expectant mother. Then he saved the child who was thought to be stillborn. The doctor made frantic efforts to give a new ease lease of life to the new born child.

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The doctor was torn between two desires. The dilemma was whether the mother or the new born infant was to be saved first. When the doctor reached 12 Blaina Terrace, he found two women standing near the patient. He knew that the case here would demand all his attention. He decided to remain there until everything was over. He hesitated and was torn between two conflicts. The first desire was how to save the child. Being a doctor, he had a duty towards the mother too. The mother herself was in a desperate state. He had to make a choice and decide promptly. He faced an urgent dilemma. The dilemma was so urgent that he couldn’t solve it consciously. At last, he took the decision. He acted instinctively.

Instinctively, he gave the child to the nurse. He turned his attention to Susan Morgan. She lay collapsed, almost pulseless. Her strength was ebbing. The doctor took only an instant to inject the medicine. After a few minutes of feverish efforts, her heart strengthened. He gave a new lease of life to the mother. He saw that he might safely leave her. Now he could turn his attention to the child. A miracle took place. After a long and tiring struggle, the doctor was able to save the child too.

Andrew Manson had brought the mother to a point of safety. Susan Morgan was now out of danger. Now the doctor immediately turned his attention to the child. “Where’s the child?” He asked the midwife. The midwife made a frightened gesture. She had placed the child beneath the bed. The doctor searched him among the dirty newspapers below the bed and pulled out the child. He was a boy, perfectly formed. His limp warm body was white and soft. The cord was hastily slashed. It lay like a broken stem. The head lolled on his thin neck. The limbs seemed boneless. It seemed that he suffered from ‘asphyxia’, the lack of oxygen in the blood. Instantly, the doctor was on his feet. He was unnaturally tense. His mind raced back to a case. He was resorting to the same treatment now.

The doctor demanded hot and cold water in two basins. Like some crazy juggler, he hurried the child between the two. First he plunged him into the icy and then into the steamy water. Fifteen minutes passed. A hopeless sense of defeat pressed on him. But he still persisted in one last effort. He rubbed the child with a rough towel, crushing and releasing him in turn with both his hands. The pigmy chest gave a short heave. The doctor redoubled his efforts feverishly. The child gasped and finally gave a loud cry. His skin was slowly turning pink. At last, Andrew Manson brought him back to life from the jaws of death.

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Andrew Manson was a young doctor. He was a dedicated and hard working medical practitioner. He never failed in his calling. He was full of ideas and judged every case on its merit. He showed quite a mature understanding of his patients. He never faltered or hesitated. When torn between two conflicts, he wasted no time in taking the right and prompt decision.

We find Joe Morgan waiting for Andrew Manson at midnight. Andrew Manson was tired and not in a proper frame of mind. Even then he accompanied Joe to his house. He was a good judge of men and matters. When he realised that the old lady feared that the doctor might leave the case, he assured her. He realised that the case demanded his immediate attention. He declared that he would not leave the place till everything was over.

We find Andrew Manson a clear headed person. He could resolve any issue. He didn’t hesitate even to do any experiment. Plunging the child into the icy and hot waters turn by turn was a daring experiment. Similarly, rubbing and releasing the chest with a rough towel was another experiment that finally brought success to the doctor. In the end, Andrew was satisfied that he did everything whatever he was expected to do.

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