The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-07-16
Death Of Mr. John Iiurress.

~ The death OF Mr. Bnrress u very worthy
young man I'd Bedford county, aud also \
statement of the supposed enuse OF his death
think Il proper i"r me 60 communicate Ia
The public more particular history OF n case
50 peculiar and inIDofthni rs his.
On the 23d OF january, 1924, first exn,o.
ined his case lie had the day before eui
himself with an axe rather above the knee
between the irndons OF the rertas aud yasius
iniernus muscles, 81 low ns 10 wound the
ligament of the kaee joint, II, had sulIerrd
10 an extreme drgreo with loss of blond, so
that every spoonful more was u matter of i'm.
purancc in his case, ms almost the very last
ol his blood was still aoa ing from the uircnm.
lux artery aud other smaller vessels. The
Toe ot tie ligature was decidedly opIIused by
him and his father. Common astfingenil aud
compression had already been used IN vain -
rfopo ed the solution Of The commune Tor.
thus QLapis lniernslis,) which proved clioatn.
al IN snlipfessing the l,emmsrrhsge. After vi.
Vina Fs"ar,1 iestruealops, left him depend.
ing on the family, 10 make application for fur.
ther means proper io be used Ia his ease. Bni
his lriepds thinking lee would do well, no MP.
pIieHtion Nns made To ino until Feb "a, near o
weeks after FIRST saw bin, at which time
found The wound reduced 10 q 6siuluus ulcer,
the external opening size ol agnill aud an ex.
teusive cay1ty well filled with pn,, but v ith all
Il arguments and warnings, Coulli possibly
make nse Of, could not gel consent 10 make
an opening untH Glty- three days aztec the nc.
eCidcnt, VIXEN VAS requested 10 proceed nc.
cordng TO my best Judgment. | found him
much emacnlej and dcbililaled with violent
symptoms of hectic tper, Although his ease
was extremely bad, was yet willing 10 take
charge OF II aud dothe best in my power
found The abscess bad become very extensive
under The recl0s temoris, aud deep among The
muscles 81 the thigh, md nIso in the Knee
JOINT. made an opening on each side, aud
alter dischRfginga very large quantity ot p,is
aud finding much 0f the cellular membrane
rotten aud sluus hing, some OF which nus dis
Ghhfgfd with the pua, seaiens were passed 10
promote n constant discharge al matter, Ne.
lonics and other means were freely used 10
,revent hectic fcyrr--,he limb bnndaged aud
reated IN the common wagon the 22d oi
! March, upon particular examination, found
Il my duty Ia inform him aud The family Tint
~ my opinion amputaion was positively me-
eessary aud that | mnsi hnve counsel mnIe-
iiaiely. Drs. Markie, Mcdowell aud Moseley
| met me on the 2Ilh, aud after proper exnmi
fnation, we unanimously decided That amputa.
ion WIS important nsihr only remaining hope
Tor relief ! performed the operation, with
their nssistanec, ifi about one hour after the
cesion, about two thirds up the thigh we
to1nd siInses extending sill higher aud some
IT the muscles aud ARTICLES in diseased state
The blood vessels were soidiseased TINT II was
iillicillkfo draw them doRpnnd secure them.
lndeed,fone vessri ont 81 ~ Which 1e found
necessary 10 tJsl ehs ~ diexRteiI ihnt the II.
gainro was a 555ed 4ve times fcfore IL would
hold FrdaHsh s1ssne DR. Mcdowell and my
self visited him aIcrpatcIy until hi. DEATH
On The 10Th dayfer the operation, ! found
that three OF tiFiigaiures had been removed
by Mr. Higginbotbam, n friend who was par.
ftcIIurinfIy unrsitt In de- 81, In, a.
of his physicians. found the other three
loose and withdrew ihem--ln an hour after,
proiu5e hcmmorage from the main ,cI moral ar.
terry The alarm aud distress Of The family
need not describe. | dissected up The stump
" tied the ycssel--it soon burst agnin---I then
di4seclcd still higher and passed two more
liahtures--abont pint Of blood Was LOST
Seven or eight days after this, tnmor WIS
noticed IN the groin, which suppurraied aud
was opened, aud much matter discharged soon
attcr-AnUther nbsccSs n little lower down
His case afler this became more failering--
his l.ealth aud strength increasing under
frte use of bark and wine, until the 2Ith OF
April, thiriy-ihree days nftcr ampni8iion,
when in the night was called for. ] found
him in very unpleasant sitnaiion--tlc main
artery had rnpiured, snd in spite OF all the
efforts of his friends, he had lost one or two
quarts of blood I Immediately dissected 10
the artery under P0upAr's ltgamcnt, tbigh III
The groin) aud pissed ligature firmly -
Twenty hours afterwards IL burst agnin as
soon rs ! saw him passed another very firm
and strong ligatgre, rather above the last, as
firmly MS il could be safely drawn ut this
time before my arrival, he bad lost two quarts
Of blood, and in -four or FIVE hours after, nj
which time DIR. Mcdowell arrived to assist
me, when, on moving him from one bed to
another, 20 our surprise, we had food of
blood from The same vessel we tied lower
down il soon burst F.; we tied again, md
while tying third time, we found HE depar.
ting, from loss Of blood, The singular cir
cumstance OF his bleeding from The extre-
nifty OF the artery, account for MS foIows /;
Jnst below the iigaiures in the groin had heen
u large abscess, aud probably section of the
artery destroyed, aud the artery being diseas.
| ed where il was tied, the blood would escape
| or above The llgalnres, and finding a readN