▁after ▁Brad man ' s ▁ret irement . ▁ ▁Se em ingly ▁restored ▁to ▁full ▁health , ▁Brad man ▁bla zed ▁two ▁centuries ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁games ▁of ▁the ▁tour . ▁However , ▁when ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁London ▁to ▁prepare ▁for ▁the ▁trip ▁home , ▁he ▁experienced ▁severe ▁ab dom inal ▁pain . ▁It ▁took ▁a ▁doctor ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 4   h ours ▁to ▁diagn ose ▁ac ute ▁append ic itis ▁and ▁a ▁sur geon ▁operated ▁immediately . ▁Brad man ▁lost ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁blood ▁during ▁the ▁four - hour ▁procedure ▁and ▁per it on itis ▁set ▁in . ▁Pen ic ill in ▁and ▁sul phon am ides ▁were ▁still ▁experimental ▁treat ments ▁at ▁this ▁time ; ▁per it on itis ▁was ▁usually ▁a ▁fatal ▁condition . ▁On ▁ 2 5 ▁September , ▁the ▁hospital ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁that ▁Brad man ▁was ▁struggling ▁for ▁his ▁life ▁and ▁that ▁blood ▁don ors ▁were ▁needed ▁ur g ently . ▁ ▁" The ▁effect ▁of ▁the ▁announ cement ▁was ▁little ▁short ▁of ▁spect ac ular ". ▁The ▁hospital ▁could ▁not ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁don ors , ▁and ▁closed ▁its ▁switch board ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁a val anche ▁of ▁tele phone ▁calls ▁generated ▁by ▁the ▁news . ▁Journal ists ▁were ▁asked ▁by ▁their ▁edit ors ▁to ▁prepare ▁ob itu aries . ▁Te amm ate ▁Bill ▁O ' Re illy ▁took ▁a ▁call ▁from ▁King ▁George ▁V ' s ▁secretary ▁asking ▁that ▁the ▁King ▁be ▁kept ▁informed ▁of ▁the ▁situation .