Gangrene poisoning of the worst kind had set in

TCD MS 10853 folio 112 recto

TCD MS 10853 folio 112 recto

so I told Dr. Crawford to go ahead. I was put to sleep in bed and woke up about 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Father and Mother arrived later in the day and they were glad to see me alive. I might as well draw a veil over the next 7 days. I understand I was very bad on the Monday and the succeeding days, so much so, that my life was despaired of. Gangrene poisoning of the worst kind had set in and was going strong.
On the following Saturday however, I had a good sleep and that seemed to improve matters for the Doctors’ report next day to Father and Mother was very hopeful. Then I started to get well for I see on Wed May 12th by my diary 11 days after the operation, the Gramaphone was playing in the ward and it was to the strains of “When Irish eyes are