Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-02
BIN relative to the patent office.



MIR. NEILspN--The interest Of suffering
humanity tending at all times to excite p5blic
attention, send you the following case, which
even The gentlemen OF the faculty Will not
peTuse with indifference, and which the gene
TOsity of my two under mentioned brotheI
doctors engages me TO make public. 1t is we'll
known With low little success the medical
arr has struggled with that terri bile disorder,
known by the name Of Teianusl 0pisthotonos
especially When caused by wound.
On the 18th of December last, Mary Saint
Celais, 10 ears old d servant of Mr. SaHI fell
on The glazed irOsl, ard iaCeJated The Integu-
menis of rer right knee, bot the wound not
appearing nSsJOus, Sue continued her usual
occupations eighteen days alter, although
the woHDd appeared perfectly healed, She
began to complain OF stiffness III the back of
her neck, aud a certain difficulty iu moving her
jaw accompanied with a pain i'll her knee,
which the curing of the wound had not been
able to dispel. The pain having increased IN
an alarming manner dutlng the day, the patient
was carried Ia the evening to DIR. Bianchet.
who prescribed something for the night-DT.
Inland being called IN, at MIR. SauPs desire,
declared that the Ietanus was then cOr1plete.
During three days he employed every thing
that the art prescIibeS in sach cases, but per-
ceiving all his efforts were useless, lie reqnested
bis friend, Doctor u. De Sales Latterriere to
torn consultations Of tais, the result was
ampuiaiOn 10 which, nevertheless, the patti
enl aud her relations positively refused their
uilb cniargIug the wound, aud dressing il with
| The common stimudhts, leaving the patient
win such full CONVICTION of her approaching
death. that they trdsIt II their duty TO give
her warning OF her extreme danger, aud her
relations Of the certainty other death.
! The dWcOnSoiatt huSband came 60 me soon
! after, IN tears. aud requested me TO 90 aud
| see his wife, telling me size was AT the last
! eXTehiity ; without. however, mentioning one
| word OF what had passed before. BHi on the
| todd met DR. De SALES Latterrierc, WHO
| informed me nearly Of " hat have lust relat.
] ed. adding, thai lie case was quite des perate.
| Yea the success had already met With from
| coPiOus biecdiRgS IN similar cases, prevailed
| on me again 10 try the same fortune.
| found the poor woman in so violent a
! parOxiSnfihat he's whole body was heut like a
| pow, and supported on the back of fiir head.
! aud on the heels. The jaws wefr so clos.
| ~ that II WAS impossible 10 inifoduce the
| blade OF Knife confess thar 1 also
| thought her on the very point Of expif.
| ng, yet her pulse, though weak aud I'd.
| lhd, and mnCb resembling such d one 40
| commonly accompanies the iHHdmmafiOns OF
| the brain, holding ont tolerabiy well imnie
! diately caiae TO tie resolution Of bleeding
| hcr until size tainted. ! was Obliged u TAX q
| tom bcr3G ounces Of blood The fainting Il,
| listed long time, bat the contraction OF the
! Avs, dnu ihe general spasn welded VIsihiS 10
the lOWeitui depletion. / then took adyaN.
! iaae oi the siackness. Of the jaws 10 make her
! swallow tour ounce. OF castor oil, and pre-.
| sciiDed.the sdinc quantity ina CiystcT after
i"o hours she had two CopiOus siOois
sue nGtwiihsiandinz geidpscd, and as yioirnOS
ds before repeated the bleeding, which wa.
! followed Oy a islutiug, after fresh loss oil
eighietp ounces Of biyod.
Dnnhg The three following DAYS, she took
eafh odN az ounce and half OF good !anda
nup ibe fih day her mouth aaain closed
ana eie SAME COMMISSIONS began anotbo