A HUSBAND'S HEROISM.

Mataura Ensign, 9 February 1911, Page 5

A HUSBAND'S HEROISM.

In a brave effort to save the life of his wife Walter Allcock voluntarily lay beside her in the Washington Heights Hospital, New York, and for 25 minutes underwent blood transfusion until he nearly fainted. Allcock is a trained nurse, dealing with insanity cases. After being out for a short While he returned home about 11 o'clock and found his wife Barbara lying unconscious on the door of the bedroom, with a gas jet full on. She was hurried to Washington Heights Hospital in an ambulance. About three o'clock in the afternoon Allcock approached C. C. Sickel, of No. 318 West Eighty-second street, the house surgeon at the hospital, and implored him to say whether there was anything that could be done for Mrs Allcock. The doctor replied that everything possible was being done. Allcock then asked if blood fusion might help to revive the woman's poisoned blood, and said he would willingly give his life to save his wife. Dr Sickel quickly embraced the opportunity of resorting to transfusion as a possible hope. Baring his arm Allcock lay beside his unconscious wife and watched her as the blood flowed from his arm into hers. In a little while, she began to rally, and for a moment she smiled, as apparently she recognised her husband. Allcock continued till his own life was in danger. But two hours afterwards the woman sank, and at seven o'clock she died. Allcock knelt by her body and wept like a child.