Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-17
Elephant shooting--An Extraordinary
Wound

Amongst extraordinary rscoysriss from dssps-
rate wounds, venture to record hero an instance
which occurred in Csylon to gentleman while
engaged in the chase Of elephants, and which. I
approhend, has few parallels in pathological e.
perience. Lieutenant Gerard Fpetx, Of the Csylon
Rife Regiment. while shooting ss an elephant in
tho vicinity Of Fort Macdonald, in Oovah, was
wounded In the face BY the bursting Of bis fowl
ing pioee, on the 22d January, 1928. He was
then about 80 years Of age. On raising him II
was found that part ofths breeoh Of the gun, and
about two inches Of the barrel had been driven
through the frontal sinus, at the junction Of the
nose and forehead 1t had sunk almost perpcn-
dcularly till tho iron plate Jailed 1.-The ta.pin,"
by which tho barrel 10 made fast to the stock by
q screw, had descended through the palate, carry
ing with II tho SCREW, ,one extremity Of which had
forced itself into the right nostrii whore il was
dscernible externally, whillt the headed end 10y
in contact with his tongue.
To extract tbs Jagged mass Of iron thus sunk
In the etbmoidal and sphsnoidal cells was found
hopelessy impraoticable; but. strange TO tell, az
ter tho inflammation subsidized, Mr.. Frets recover
cd rapidly, his general health Was uuimpaired,
and he returned TO his regiment with this siugu-
lar nppendage firmly imbeddod behind the bones
Of his face. lie took his turn of duty as usual, at
tanned tho command Of his company, participated
in all tho epjoymsnts Of the mess room. and died
eight yedrs afterwards, on the lss of April 1896,
not from any consequences Of this fearful wound,
but from fevor and inflammation brought on by
othor causes. So little WAS he apparently ineon-
venienced by tho presence OF the strange body In
his palate that he was accustomed with his flngsr,
partially to undo the screw, which, but for its OF.
tromo length, he might altogether have withdrawn
To enable this TO be done possibly TO assist BY
this means tho extraction OF the breeeh itself
through the original orifcs, (which never entirely
olosed,) an attempt was made in 1898 TO take OF
u portion af the screw with fls, but, after hay
ing cut it three parts through. the operation was
interrupted. chiefly owing 10 the carslessnsss and
red before the attempt could be resumed. Tho
piece of iron on being removed after his dscease.
was found to measure q inches in length. and
weighed two soruples more than two ounces and
threo quarters. A cast Of the breach and screw
now forms No. 279O among the deposits in the
Medical Museum Of Chatham-F FTom Sir j. Emer
son 7cnmenfs Cegloa>
ABIr OF Wr.-Wendsll Philips, in ono ofhis
speeches during the Compromise excitement in
1850. illustrated the relation 10 Mr.. Webster Of
his friends, who swallowed the professions Of
years in supporting him through that crisis, by
tho story Of what tho tipsx Duke Of Norfolk said
drunk in tho kennell. The Duke was reelng
homo from tho tavern one night (for even Dukes
used TO haunt tavern's sAty years sinoe), aud
found Of his jolly friends PROSTATE in the mud
lie was himself too far gone to assist him, 90 he
said to him, my dear fellow, can't help you
up. but I'll do the next best thing tor you--PH
lie down by your side !" which he did The face
tiOus Boston correspondent Of The Standard revi-
YES tho story and says
There was no one in these Unibed States that
enjoyed the excellent felicity OF this illustrative
utory more than Mr.. Webster did. l have been
assured, from the best authority, that when seat-
cd at table, after dinner. he would often call on
one of his friends. who Is q capital racontsur, for
Wendell Phillipss story Of the Duke Of Norfolk,
and was never tired Of hearing and laughing at it.
OF course 1t was the humility of bis retainers in
his behalf that gave point and pungenoy to this
eternal jest"