Story from my Mom

Probably Cook County Hospital - early 1950’s
A patient was brought in with severe burns – at least 75% of his body. Back then, there was not much that could be done, and of course, he was in tremendous pain. At one point when he asked for some brandy, I told the nurse to go ahead and get some brandy for him. We were always confiscating alcohol from drunks who were brought in from the streets by the police, so we had a cabinet where it was stored. I thought she’d come back with a small amount, but she had a beaker full. “Isn’t that a little much?!” I said. The patient looked at it, and pleaded, “No, no, that fine!” He drank it all, and later when he died, the nurse was in tears, saying, “Oh, you were right, it was too much!” I had to convince her that he was going to die anyway, and he had been more comfortable.