A medical error

In the dying days of the first half of the last century, when ward sisters wore starched veils and hospital walls were painted green, an intern 10 days out of medical schoolwas summoned in the middle of the night to restart a clogged intravenous drip. This was done in those days by injecting 3.8% of sodium citrate, a procedure that doctors but notnurses were allowed to undertake.

Sleepily the intern made his way to the medical floor. A …