In his eagerness the doctor bent over his patient, he did not for an instant take his eyes from his face. Just then the friend was transformed wholly into the man of science who, entirely mastered by the passionate desire of unravelling some secret of nature, might become capable of practising vivisection even upon his fellow-man.
“Oh do tell me,” passionately implored the doctor, “do tell me what you feel!”
“What I feel?” muttered Theodoor vaguely. “Oh it is delightful, delightful—more delicious than—”
“This is too bad!” shouted van Nerekool, “abominable! I can’t stand this any longer!” and, snatching the pipe out of Grenits’ hand, he stamped on it with his foot. Then he seized the box in which there remained but a single pill of opium and violently flung it and its contents out of the window.
“That’s right, quite right!” cried Grashuis and van Beneden in a breath.
“It is a pity, a thousand pities,” complained Murowski.
But even he had very soon to change his tone, as the condition of Grenits now began seriously to alarm even the medical man. The smoker’s pulse had fallen to 62, and his respiration to 24, while the temperature had risen to 101·40.
Grenits moreover was now growing very restless, and was pouring forth a torrent of libidinous and incoherent ejaculations. His eyes were bloodshot, his face much swollen, his skin was hot and dry, while the hands were damp with clammy sweat. Incessantly he kept on clamouring for opium. “The pipe, give me the pipe! van Rheijn, the pipe!” he almost yelled, and this amidst a string of loose and frantic exclamations.
Murowski, now beginning to fear that the experiment might have been carried too far, endeavoured to make him drink some of the strong coffee which had been kept ready for the purpose, by pouring it down his throat with a spoon. He bathed his head with iced water, and every now and then, made him sniff strong smelling salts. Thus, with considerable difficulty, the doctor at length succeeded in somewhat quieting his patient. The coffee, especially, seemed to have a soothing effect. At first Grenits violently resisted all attempts to make him swallow it; but presently, of his own accord he began to ask for it, and the beverage had the most sobering effect. Gradually the excitement began to abate, the patient’s voice became more natural and subdued, and his utterances less wild. At length Grenits fell into a deep sleep.
Murowski took out his pocket-book and wrote: Pulse 70, respiration 24, temperature 100.