GUN ACCIDENT. 
27 
I860, and about the same number of men were in 
hospital every morning : — 
This does not include the doses given to natives in 
camp, who had the greatest faith in the medicine- 
chest, often sitting round us as it was administered, 
and asking for the dregs of the glass ! We had an 
amputation case. The men were practising with their 
rifles at a suspended bottle, and Eahan blew off one of 
his middle fingers, and came bellowing with rage into 
camp, saying, " Look here what I have suffered by 
being induced to come upon this horrible journey! 
My life-blood is running," &c. He had evidently been 
drinking. No time was to be lost. I thought from 
the first that I should have the operation to perform, 
and Speke requested me to do it. I overcame the feel- 
ing of reluctance, and asked for a knife. The Sheikh's 
razor performed a beautiful flap operation, taken from 
the inside of the hand, and covering the knuckle. 
Eahan shrank at first from it, crying out most lustily, 
and abusing us and Baraka for having brought this 
misfortune upon him. At last he said, " Go on : do 
it." When half through, he pulled away his hand, and 
gave a tremendous scream ; but with great coaxing the 
affair was finished; and, without having tied up any 
arteries, in a very few days he had the use of his hand, 
and recovered his temper. 
We never could understand the disease that was 
William, 10 land., 2 quinine. 
Middleton, 10 jalap, 2 calomel. 
Lemon, \ 
Jacob, J 
Rahan, 2 pills col. ; Speke dressed wound. 
