"The symptoms were those of moderately severe _peritoneal
collapse;"_

[In all the cases I have ever seen, I never knew of one showing any
symptoms of collapse when the abscess ruptured.]

"the prognosis was very grave although not positively hopeless."

[If the symptoms had not been those of drug and food poisoning they
were very grave.]

"Treatment: Small quantities of alcohol, to be followed by camphor."

[All the treatment necessary was absolute quiet--no drugs, no
food--nothing until nature had time to react fully; then there would
have been a full and speedy recovery. Alcohol and camphor were
injurious to a body already suffering from opium paralysis, for all
such drugs are heart depressants.

As I have said for years: The physician who gives drugs can't
possibly know where his patient is. "Peritoneal collapse!" If
there had been no narcotism there would have been no appearance of
collapse. Every symptom giving the appearance of collapse was due to
opium and morphine. I have seen such collapses for I have made them,
and I have suffered all the torments possible in this world of
medical uncertainty. For fifteen years after starting to practice my
profession I labored hard with symptoms of my own making. After drug
action and symptoms were once developed, I knew nothing more about
my patients; it is true I guessed, and theorized, and reasoned, but
in truth I did not know positively just where my patients were. I