Page 167 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (3)_Neat

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Just a Hypodermic Needle

William J. Moerdyk, M.D.
;
Note: Dr. Moerdyk has been (or two years in Amarah on the Tigris River." The work of
•U Lansing Memorial Hospital has been transferred from liaarah to Amarah. The new hus- !
Ntal building will soon be ready for occupancy.—Ed. t
/(TUST a hypodermic needle—1-that’s all I am. But I am mighty 1
c:‘ * I proud of what I do. You look at me and say that I um smull
/ J und insignificant, but my factor thinks a lot of me. Wherever
S * he goes, I go with him, and that means to the homes of rich
aiui poor alike, Arab, Persian and Kurd, Jew, Moslem ui)d Christian.
The people in Amarah are in love with me, some of them so much
io that they ask for me before they tell the doctor what ails them.
I do not like to boast, but I must say that I have helped a lot of
people. Of course, without medicine I am useless, but just put me
on a hypodermic syringe filled" with medicine, and I am ready to
t>c inserted into any sick person’s arm, and I guarantee to do them i
good. /
I remember one lad who came to my doctor, who, the doctor said,
was close to tuberculosis. Perhaps I hurt him some, but I guess he I
’didn’t care because, after using me for a week, my doctor patted
}.
j me on the back and told me I had worked a cure. There were 5
others like him, who were loath to accept me at first, but they
toon became my friends and asked for me whenever they came to \\
I visit my doctor. And some of them were pretty sick people when
l | met them first. 4
Do you remember that man who came to me with a fever of 106° ? s
}fy doctor said that he had malaria, but by the way he shook and t 9
trembled, I thought he had delirium tremens. My doctor used me 1
ooce and I led the fever a merry chase. And do you recall the other
chip, whose fever was almost as high, but who did not recognize 1
bc because he was so sleepy all the time? My doctor inserted me i
in his vein, and I met him in the bazaar two days later. i
When it comes to real pain, nothing beats me. Sometimes my j
doctor uses other medicine instead of me, but he almost always
L* fcu to resort to me, and I love to see the look of telief I bring . i
i to tho fucca of the suffering ones. 1
ni Did you ever hear any one wheeze like the chap who had such a I'
£ bad case of asthma? I thought every breath of his was going to be
if bit last. I was -afraid to let my doctor use me on that case, but he T
| didn’t hesitate one minute, and we soon had the mar\ breathing like
£ l child and drinking in the air as. though he never really enjoyed i
fc ft to much before. ; '
L One night the doctor took me to see a little boy who barked like
F d dog and crowed when he breathed as though his throat was closed
b with a membrane. My doctor used me twice and when we left the
£ boy was sleeping like a baby. •
§v Yes, and last year I stppped counting the number of* persons I
used on to keep them from getting Typhoid Fever when we had
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