The Portland daily press., 1869-09-22

fell right over on hts face; he had been speak
ing minute or two before he fell; I think NC
made some remark when he was picked up; 1
saw MIN when he rolled off from the bench
He struck on his left side.
u. What change took place in him before
you spoke to the Marshal? A. He was insen-
slble when we carried him into the lodging
room, and the difficulty increased.
Dr. Horatio N. Small sworn and testified IL
was called to see this man about IL o'clock;
went alone; found him in the lodging room
on a bed; very slow pulse, slow respiration, d.
iation of both pupils and in convulsions; his
breathing was very slow, stertorous or snoring;
thought at first he had taken poison; SO
said, and advised the calling in OF a consulting
physician; thought the poison was strych-
nine; Drs. Gordon and Tewksbury came about
that time; the officer told US he had COM
planned OF an injury on the head; we examined
and found confusion on the right side, about
the center, about two inches above the ear; we
Thought the symptoms indicated hemorrhage
and depression of the brain.
@. Would strychnine adequately account
for all the symptoms you saw? A. No, sir.
q. Would the subsequent discovery of frac-
ture AMI hemorrhage account for them. A. Yes,
sir.
9. Would any other cause that you know
Of? A. No, sir. After while his symptoms
were so serious that DR.. Gordon trepanned;
for short time he seemed better and his res
Plration improved, but afterwards he grew as
bad as ever; had no more care of the case
after that; saw him two or three times alter
wards; | heard the testimony of how he fell
down stairs: that would account for the
injuries found upon his head; I attended
at the post norton examination; the body pre-
scented no unusual appearances; upon remov-
ing the Uranium we found fracture extending
from the bruise forward about four inches and
nearly four lnches-nO depression at all; the
fracture run directly across the groove and
large artery, and at the point where they in
1ersected this artery was Iuptured; this artery
runs IN groove on the inner surface of the
SKULL, and the d,tra mater comes next, and adj
heres very firmly to the inner surface OF the
skull: the artery is between the membrane and
the skull; there was no extravasation of blood
ON the brain; the membrane was not ruptured !;
the compression was caused by this clot OF
blood Dagglug down the membrane.
y. Whether or not the conduct of the man
IN the hotel and up to the time YOU were called
as you have heard it described here, is consist
ent with the theory that the artery was rup-
tured at the time he came down stairs? A. 1t
must have been, or at the time he received the
blow that fractured the skull.
q. Whether or not his behavior between the
time he came down the stairs and your seeing
him is consistent with the hypothesis that the
artery was ruptured? A. Yes. sir; his falling
out OF his chair indicated that the depression
had overcome the power of the brain; should
not expect this labored breathing until the vital
power Of the brain was in a measure over
come The injuries we found on his head were
sufficient to produce death; L think he could
not have recovered without the operation; we
all cOncurred in the necessity of doing it at
once; saw the man afterwards; did not find
any indication that any new cause had set in !;
do not think any other cause of his death ex-
listed except these wounds.
Cross erdmined-Q What you mean to say is
that these things are not inconsistent with the
hypothesis, but do not prove that hypothesis
any more than they do great many others?
A. No, sir; have at my house minutes of the
post naortenl; each surgeon took minutes; they
were all alike; there were measurements made
OF this mans skull; very thin indeed; we MOTTO
say 1-4th of an inch in thickness; that was
the thinest portion of the skull; don't think
the thickest portion of the skull was measured !;
nave not made comparisons with that skull and
others; whether it possible for person who has
received fractured skull to live for months
before extraversation has completed pressure
upon the brain SO as to produce coma, would
depend upon the size of the vessel wOu nded
and the amount of the extraversation. After
the rupture OF this vessel he could live but q
short time; the blood comes out very rapidly,
the symptoms come on very rapidly indeed
the function OF this artery is to supply the dura
mater, the membrane covering the brain with
nourishment bat not the brain ITSELF There
was no direct extraversation of blood upon the
BRAIN from the severance of this artery; there
would be none; it is not its function to supply
the brain. The dasra mater was not ruptured.
do not think it possible. for the blood to have
been absorbed; if it could escape externally it
would relieve it.
Drect-My attention has been called to the
mans falling from his chair. Ihave heard the
description of the Deputy Marshall, in regard
to his sliding out. That is the way people fall
in hemorrhage of that kind. If the question
presented to me at the time, whether this in
quiry, the extraversation of blood upon the
durG mater had been caused before the falling
from that chair, or by the falling from the
chair, from the manner of his fall, 1 should
think the cause must have been before that. ]
don think there is any question about it at
all.
Cross Examined @. The fact of falling and
the manner of falling indicates the previous in
jury, 1t hints at that, it is just as consistent
with any other hypothesis as it is with that
A. Yes sir.
Direct.-Q. will ask you il, in your iudg-
ment, an injury to that artery, if it had been
caused by the fall from the chair, such an inju-
ry as you found when examined would have
reduced the man to the condition in which
you found him, in the time which had elapse !?
A. Not to the condition in which we then
found the brain.
@. Whether the actual condition of the mani
as you found him when you called on him
would be explained by that fall from the chair
A would not expect the symptoms to come
Cross Examined-Q. Do you mean to say
that between the time when this man fel
from his chair and the time when you saw him
that the same amount of blood could not have
passed from this entry? A. 1t was not posi-
BILE.
@. How long time did elapse? A. The DO
jice stated that he just fell.
y. You are testifying not from mattert
within your own knowledge? A. Yes sir.