New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-09
THE STATE 0FMR. SUMMERS HEALT TIL

PARIS, Ju7e %. 1852.
The rumerous hierds, personal aOd poGtica',
vhom Mr Sumner must count among the readers
of THE TRIBUNE may have been expecting before
this some ncte Of him from your Paris cOrrespont-
eDt. Surprised at his sudden arrival, | va, psined
to learn, when calling upon him. that not withstand
ing his outward appearance Of robust health, he
was still an invalid. I preferred TO keep sileot
Until could transmit good news. Today think
! can. DR.. Brown.Ssquard, already favorablg
known 10 the readers Of TIE TRIBUNE. Ia, fur-
rished NE with a memorandum regarding Mr.
SumLe, case ard his treatment Of it, from which
and from my conversations with hin and bis patient,
draw Up the following statement:
From the outset Mr.. Sumrer has, so to SPEAK,
unGeIvalued the selOusness Of his cOudlti)n Attic
time Of ihe assault upon bin ne did uot comprehend
the fol extent aud nature Of the injury received aud
has lived from that tine toe presentin the 'nstant
hope Of sn early restoration TO q sound state OF
health. On coming abfOsd this tine fe was count
ing msny on the curative Influences Of travel, exer-
else in the open air. aod absence ofthat excite nen
on heme sfTaiIs which be could not escape 10
America. A. Paris he met Dr.. Geo. Hayward, the
eminent Boston surgeon who, in view Of bis present
condition, at once urged "active treatment that
IT, ihe application Of system Of counter irTit.nts
in rder to resch the maaj7 in tie cerebral system
ard Ill the spile With the sanction of DR.. II Mr..
Sumner then put himself in the hands ofDr. Brown
SequaId the celebrated pbysiolog't, so we'll Known
in England and America, Sho, By the way, should
now be better known to CuI medical men by the
newly. founded Journal de Ia Physiotogis ds
rHomme It des Anim0ur, Of which he is editor,
whose "specialy" as pIacticpg phJ sician is dis
eases Of the spine and nervous system. Dr.. Browa-
Sequa.ds careful and acute inyestig alton Of the
case resulted 10 diagnosis which, ifyour's were
medcsl Instead Of general journal, l should BE-
iDeS cussble for not giving il detail from the memo
rsDdun before NE. Safi e it for the lay reader to
say: the brain itself s asctrtane1 to be free of any
serious remaining injury but the effects oi the
o,;o;ral commotion there are still nalltest 10 an
,ffusion Of liquid about the brain and in slight
degree ofccpgestiop, chiefly il not only confined to
the membrane around the brain; it was alec found
that tbe spine was suffering in tgO places from the
effect of what is called contrt-cOup. Mr. Sumner
teiDg seated and Inclined over his desk at the time
Of the assault the blows on his head took effect by
cOVaftr-s,oLf, or communicated shock in the spine
II is worth notirg here that after the lapse Of more
than two years, bis suiierirgs to-day Indicate the
peculiar nature Of the assault; but observe that the
spinal chord is sound, the injury being 10 the spine
itself. DIR BrOwn-Sequsrd agrees with Dr. Hay
ward 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, woult not always
leave the patient exposed 10 arelapse. He pro-
ceeded therefore, at once to apply fire to the back
of the neck AID along the spine. Now, fire Is fire,
and the quality of it is to burn, as surely as the
"pToperiy Of rain ID to wet" Aud here canaot
DO better than to quote entire note have Just
received from NJ. Sequasd: ~ think you will like
"to be able 10 say that have toll you that have
"apped lix mC1ds 10 Senator Summers neck and
" back, and that be has borne these e1cetd'nsfy
"psuful epplicstons with tle greatest courage and
" patience. You know that moxa is burning Of
" the skln with irflaued agaric (amad0s), cotton
" wool or come other very comousucle subststce'
al had rever seen man beaIiog with such fort
tude as Mr. Sumner has shown, the extremely
yioeSt pain of this tld f burning" So you
see the morale is sound In his mtmoraldum, the
doctor s;cks cautiously but hopefully Of the final
result. lie says: 81 am in hopes that an active
" treatment viii produce the absorption of the eX-
cert # nud fused about the bra n. and dimnish
" the congestion Of the membranes Of this organ
" As regards TIE condition Of the spne, which Is
" quite distinct from that OF tie head, though due
10 the same primary cause, and By sort of con-
TIE copp. an active treatment msy dimuish tbs
gree of pain, if rot atogether render the SEN
siLili,y norma', so as TO allow walk, and other
" moveu ents TO take place without pam
Mr. Suune.s general leslth has almost entirely
rallied f,oU the original shc,k. This is due to
what tie L slsh physicians last year called the
"wor3eru Iecupers'ivs erergss of his co sttu-
"tou." and to vha. DIR. Stqr.-d Names "a re-
"msrksbe power of resis'apcs 10 injury 1t Is
This. in alliance with bis untouched vgor OF will,
that has enabled Mr. 5. 10 throw of or resist so
much Of toe effects Of his original nj lries, and
now enables him TO bear the uOxs S!thou! the
chlorofolm Nhch DR.. SoqGsrd recommended, aat
without tie wincing which the Doctor expected.
The plelent severe treat nent, which DR.. 3 Is not
yet res1y 10 reliDquish, may De followed, In the
course of he Sumner By certain internal remedies
ard by baths.