Authentic Tales of the West: Part 16

Sickness

Arnold Ashford’s Journal Entry #16

Shortly after I started helping Dr. Teller with patients, one of the Hired Hands of the local Rancher was brought in. Prior to this, I had always thought that ‘turning green’ was just an expression. This young man had a sickly pallor that had his skin looking almost the same shade as wet moss. The fact he was coated in a sheen of sweat only added to the effect.

He was brought in by two other young men, one on each arm; his feet not even touching the ground as his legs were all curled up. He couldn’t speak, but the excruciating pain he was in came through loud and clear. He was laid down by his buddies on the doctor’s table and balled up on his side, clenching his teeth and shaking violently.

Dr. Teller quickly went through a series of questions with his pals; turns out they had been riding out on the playa, had gotten turned around and eventually ran out of food and water. Their buddy had come across a small water hole, immediately jumped down off his horse and started lapping up the water. They came up behind him and noticed that his horse was not drinking.

“Alkali poisoning” Dr. Teller announced with total certainty in his voice. “Ashford, grab the sour drops from the main cabinet, on the left side. Boys, I need one of you to go get me vinegar, I need the other to go fetch some gunpowder, and your friend here needs you to be quick about it; he is burning from the inside out.”

I grabbed the two “sour drops” from the cabinet, turns out they’re capsules filled with powdered citric acid, and watched as Dr. Teller made the young man swallow them down. Soon as the friends got back, the doctor made a vinegar and gunpowder cocktail that looked gnarly and smelled worse. He forced it down the young man’s throat; I never knew that a body could do what this man’s body did next.

— Check back next week for a new entry in Ashford’s journal —