The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-07-27
THE CONDITION OF Mr.. SUMNER.


The Paris correspondence Of the New
York Till rs the following au-
thentic and interesting statement of the pre-
sent condition Of Mr.. Sumner ard Of the new
treatment he is undergoing. 1t is made up
from information given by Mr.. Sumner and
his new French physician
From the outset Mr. Sumner has, so to
speak, undervalued the seriousness of his
condition. AT the time of the assault upon
him he did not comprehend the full extent
and nature Of the injury received, and has
lived from that time to the present in the
u.stans hope Of an early restoration to
o sound state of health. On coming abroad
this time he was counting mainly on the
curative influence of travel, exercise in the
open air, and absence Of that excitement on
home affairs. which he could not escape in
America At Paris he met DIR. George
Hayward, the eminent Boston Surgeon who,
in view OF his present condition, at once
urged 'actiye treatment that ls the APP
plication Of a system of eounter-irritants in
order to reach the malady in the cerebal
system and in the spine. With the sanction
of Dr. H., Mr.. Sumner then put himself IN
the hands of DR.. Brown Sequard, the cele-
brated Psychologist, SO well known In
England and America, whose specially as
practicns~ physician is diseases OF the
spine and nervous system. DIR. Brown
Sequard's careful and acute investigation OF
the case resulted in a diagnosis which, ii
yours were medical instead of q general
Journal should be inexcusable for not CIV
ing in detail from the memorandum before
me. Suffice it for the lay reader to say: the
brain itself is ascertained to be free OF
any serious remaining injury, but the effects
Of the original commotion there are still
manifest in an effusion of liquid about the
brain and in slight degree Of congestion,
chiefly if not only confined to the mem
brane around the brain; it was also found
that the spine was suffering in two places
from the effect of what is called coafre coup
Mr. Sumner being seated and inclined over
his desk a. the time Of the assault, the blows
on his head took effect BY counter-stroke, or
communicated shock in the spine. 1t IS
worth noting here that, after lapse OF more
than two years, his sullerings to-day indicate
the peculiar nature Of the assault; but OBJ
serve that the spinal chord IS sound, the IN
jury being in the spine itself. nr. brown
Sequard agrees with Dr.. Hayward as to the
necessity of an active treatment, doubling
very much whether any degree OF care or
lapse OF time, unless the morbid condition OF
the system be directly acted upon, would
not always leave the patient exposed to Il re-
lapse. lie proceeded, therefore, at once to
apply fire to the back of the neck and along
the spine. Now, fire is fire, and the quality
oft IS to burn, as sure as the property OF
rain is to Wet And here cannot do bet
ter than to quote entire a note have just re-
ceived from Nj. Sequard II think you will
like to be able to say that have told you
that | have applied SIX moGas to Senator
summers neck and back, and that be has
borne those erceediaaly painful applications
with the greatest courage and patience. You
know that q moxa is "a burning of the skin
with inaamcd a-aric (Amadon, cottonwood
or some other very comhustibie substance.
| had never seen 4 man bearing with such Il
iorttude as MIR sumner has shown, the ex-
tremely violent pain Of this kind Of burning
So YOU see the D3erdte is sound In his mem
orandum the doctor speaks cautiously but
hopefully OF the final result. He says Il
am in hopes that an active treatment will
produce the alb ,0rption OF the excess Of fluid
eiiused about the brain, and diminish the
congestion Of the membranes of this organ.
As regards the condition OF the spine, which
is quite distinct from that OF the head, tho
due to the same primary cause, and BY sort
0. contre coup, an active treatment may d.
minish the degree of pain, if not altogether
render the sensaiiity normal, SO as to allow
walking and other movements to take place
without pain.
Mr. Summers general health has almost
entirely rallied from the original shock
This is due to what the English physicians
last year called the wonderful recuperatiye
energies of his constitution, and to what
DR.. Sequard names "a remarkable power of
resistance to injury" 1t is this, in alliance
with his untouched vigor Of the will, that
has enabled Mr. 5 10 throw Off or resist so
much of the effects of his original injuries
and now enables him to bear the moxa with
out the chloroform which DR.. Sequard re-
commended, and without the wineing which
the doctor expected. The present severe
treatment which DR.. S. is not yet ready to
relinquish, may be followed, in the course
of the summer, by certain internal remedies
and by baths