Random reminder

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 28

Random reminder

HARD, HARD WORK

A woman of strong morality, she had the knack of knowing for certain whether things were right or wrong. Not for her, the situational ethicist’s uncertainty among various shades of grey. She did not, however, make a habit, of forcing her opinions upon others, being too intelligent to think she knew everything ... She had to go into hospital. A bone had to be re-broken and re-s&t'. It was painful, and the family were sympathetic. Her medicines sparked a dinner-table discussion on drugs therapeutic and drugs dangerous. Uncharacteristically for her, she spoke emotionally. The triumph o'f medical science, she said, the ability of doctors to banish infection, was something she had first-hand experience of. But to use illegal drugs like morphine for dangerous “pleasure,” to pump rubbbish into your veins just to escape from reality, was something she could not tolerate ■ and would never understand. Why, she said, three days after the operation they offered me some capsules called "Oblivion,” can you imagine that? I told the doctor I would rather not, judging by the name. He < said he understood. I’m glad these last

few days are over, though. The family was fascinated, hunting (through a medical dictionary. “Oblivon,” they said, not “Oblivion” . . Methylpentynol, a mild hypnotic, temporary relief. Fair enough, if you didn’t want it Why did you say, three days after the op., though? It hadn’t been hurting, she said. The swelling round the scar went down. The discharge tube came out. The bruises faded. The penicillin, you see, was keeping everything under control and there was no pain, just like floating on a feather bed, I didn’t even need an aspirin. It wasn’t till after the doctor said, quite abruptly I thought, that the nurse could stop the — , that things got uncomfortable. I wish they had kept it up just a couple of days longer, to make sure. The WHAT? said the family. The — , she repeated. The penicillin, to stop infection. Mother dear, they said, showing her the medical dictionary. — isn’t the brand name of a kind of penicillin. You wish they had kept it up, you said? Just for a couple more days, you said? Like floating on a feather bed, no pain, yo’u said? No wonder the doctor cut you off abruptly. — is synthetic morphine.