The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-07-15
A Wonderful Skull.

| Nearly twenty years ago the medical
| journals of the world recorded a most
singular case of laborer in Cavendish,
VT, who while engaged in blasting
had a tamping iron blown entirely
throush h his head, but who actually re-
covered within sixty days. Such a
surprising and unprecedented result at
the time Of its announcement was gen
orally disbelieved, and provoked great
discussion, many eminent surgeons pro-
nouncing it a physical impossibility,
but the subsequent public exhibition of
the individual himself, convinced the
most skeptical. and verified the first re-
port of DR.. John NJ. Harlow, the at
tending surgeon who published the
case. At very recent meeting cf the
Massachusetts, Medical Society, this
gentleman presented a paper giving a
history of the case, and presented to
that body, the veritable skull which
sustained the injury.
The accident occurred on September
18th, 1913, and was caused by the
tampiug iron striking fire from the rock,
exploding the powder aud driving the
bar, which was nearly four feet long by
one and one-quarter inches in diame-
ter, and weighed thirteen pounds,
through his head entering under the
cheek bone, passing inside an inch be-
hind the eye and out of the top of the
head in the center, two inches back of
the line where the forehead and hair
meet. The opening in the skull was
TWO inches wide by three and one half
inches long, and the brain was hang
ing in shreds on the hair. In fifty
nine days the patient was abroad
Soon alter, with his tamping iron
which he carried with him mil the day
of his death-he was exhibited in Bar
NUNS old musium, this city, and sew
eral years after he left the city for
South America. His general health
appears to have been good until 1859,
when it began to fail. At that time
being in California, he was taken with
epileptic fits which finally. caused his
death ip May. 1861, twelve years and
eight months after tie accident DE-
Harlow kept himself informed as to
the history of his patient, and on his
demise obtaining possession of both the
skull and the iron, made the disposal
of the same as mentioned above.
The effect of the inju upon the man
seems to have been the destruction of
the equilibrium between his intellectual
faculties and the animal propensities
He became capricious, ftful, irreverent,
vaciliating, impatient of restraint, a
child in mind, an adult in physical sys-
American life he was a coachman, and
underwent great hardship. 1t appears
the man could see out of his left eye
though the lid was not subject to his
will In summing up his paper DIR.
Harlow presented these views:
1st. The recovery is attributed solely
to the Wis vitae, Wis Conservative, or, if
some like it Wis medicatrix, nature
2. This case has been cited as one of
recovery j.; physically the recovery was
| nearly or asrite completed for the four
years Immediately succeeding the injury,
but ultimately the patient succumbed
to progressive disease of the brain
Mentally the recovery was only partial ;
there was no dementia intelieetnal
operations were perfect in kind, bnt
not in degree or quantity. Sd. Though
the case may seem improbable, yet the
subject was tine man for the case, as
his will, physique, and capacity for
endurance, could scarcely be equaled /;
the missile was smooth aud pointed,
dilating and wedging off rather than
lacerating the tissues the bolt did lit
tie injury until it entered the base of
the brain, and that opening served as a
drain for the blood and matter and 9TH
er substances that might have caused
death by compression The part of the
brain traversed was the part that could
best stand such shock with the least
iujury.-Scientifc American.