Stranger than Fiction

(Reuters) - Dewey Hughes, a 43 year old surgeon working out of Glendale, CA, was a morphine addict.  He ingeniously concealed his dependency with a small rubber bladder filled with morphine in his armpit, a short piece of tubing leading out of it, and a needle.  When Hughes needed a "hit," he simply squeezed his armpit.

This worked well for Hughes until an old friend from medical school visited him.  The friend slugged Hughes in the shoulder.  Hughes went down.  The bladder full of morphine had burst, but not before sending a lethal dose into Hughes' bloodstream.  Luckily, the responding EMTs recognized the signs of an overdose and saved Hughes' life.

The California Medical Board is reviewing the case.