The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-05-05

ter was brought, and put my face in it, after first
"A hours burning pain abated some the Dr. called
and made second application he said 'how do your
eyes feeP' told him they felt bad-and said ''what
did you put in?"; he Immediately again put in
something that almost took my life; he said ''cant
you stand it? if not send forwater and wash some
OF 1t off," which was done; the second application
was most severe; eye that mortar was in is now
the best, If there is any difference; the other one
was perfectly well, and had been; same severe
OF suffering in both eyes afterwards; the DR.. called
a third time after l was moved to new house; he
then asked if l could see any said cant YOU make
me see!-he said ''you have so many friends here,
am afraid they will say 1 have made you blind" ;
the morning OF first application had been picking
up things to move; had no difficulty in seeing out
of mortared eye sight was as good as ever in the
world after second application, it was three weeks
before got rid of pain as near tell; was in
sane from pain; can now see night from day for
three months couldn't tell that when told DR.. l was
blind, he said nothing; nor when askedwhat could
be done; said nothing about further visits; has
made no application since; I went to Boston; it
was next spring; Dr.. Monroe did not help me; he
promised to, but did not; my son took me to hos
pital; a hours after, DR.. Monroe came there; my
son Went for him. no one questioned me there dur
ing first hours Dr. NJ. said he would be at hospital
as soon as | was; when he came L knew it by his
voice; heard other voices, several others; they
looked ateyes, said they could do nothing; heard
DR.. NJ. say nothing to them; they talked in low
voices, and | couldn't understand; heard no in
quiry or explanation how it happened; one of them
or four days; l have been in outdoor business,
stage driving, &C.. here and on Kennebec; always
been healthy and temperate; never drank.a pint of
liquor, or used tobacco; have had good eyes; was
veterinary surgeon, doctored cattle and horses !;
kept truck team and riding wagon, sled, harnesses
&C.. had valuable horses-h;lve now no means of
living, nor has my wife-haye no children able to
support mean sc years old-practiced doctoring
cattle for 20 years know of nothing to contribute
to make me blind except the application and the
scattering of mortar-Dr. NJ. had not been my
family physican-I did not call him on that OCCASION
knew he was in the house-didn't know he was
to touch my eye-had no intention of calling any
physlcan-the eye was almost WELL
Cross Examined. Commenced stage-driving at
age of 10; drove mostly,days; never was educated
veterinary surgeon; have been hostler; have
not treated all horse Diseases have treated cattle,
horses, &C., but never human beings; went to
Boston about year after first injury; did not there
explain my difficulty; told them of mortar; told
them something that felt like fire-coals had been
put i'll. Plaintiff was led in front of jury, who ex-
amned his eyes. They have cloudy im of gray
color, over the pupil DR.. Monroe went on same
boat with me; had no examination by Surgeons
before DIR. Monroe came; my son did the talking
l said nothing to any one: next day there was an
examination; DR.. Jehries made it; he asked me
about them; told him about mortar; said no
more, DR.. J.. sad he could do nothing to help me
described to him the pain of DR.. Monroes appliea-
don; after being blind, persons inquired Of me
about my eyes; told them 1 didn't know what
aled them; it was a year before l found out
ABOUT Nitrate Oh SILVER, uQn tell Cne1n IL was III
consequence of lime; nor by ery3pelas; said 7
didn't know but dust of mercury from hay got in
never said Doctor put eyes out, prior to going TO
Boston; said didn't know told several so never
told any one it was in consequence of the lime
treated eyes with warm water washes.
Direct resumed. Know no more than has been
stated about cause of blindness the hay | was
hauling was dry hay, in which l suspected mer-
nothing about nitrate of silver; don't recolIect DR..
NJ. ever told me had erysipelas; never was sus-
ceptble to the poison of the mercury plant.
Mrs. Winslow B. Holmes testified that she was
stantially related By plaintiff; and that Howes
had been about his work as usual up TO that time.
Cross Examined, Am aunt to Mrs. Howes.
Miss Lucy Holmes, testified that she came to
Howes' the day her mother left stayed two weeks
Howes suffered great deal at first, out Of his
head, didn't know any one, moaned, lamented
and walked the room; he could not see--it was a
week before he came to his meals-then he was led
afterwards he did not suffer so much, but
was blind-hayc seen him frequently from tina,
time to this and he has been Just the same.
Howard Murphy sworn. Saw Howes after he
got mortar in his eye. before the Doctors appica-
tion-told me that he had got mortar in his eye
next saw him at his house-he walking floor
and taking on-he complained of his eyes, that he
few minutes.
AT this point the plf. closed his testimony, ,rcserv
ing the right to introduce two other witnesses who
We're not then present in Court.
TESTIMONY FOR DEFENCE.
The defence was opened by Gen. F. s. Nickcrson
who stated at length the grounds Of defence.
Bradford Wormwood sworn. Know Howes; was
present when he got lime i'll his eye-was from 10th
to 18th of May, 1S67-his eye looked red and in
iamed-my boy drove his cow on Sunday, the 10Th
it was said Howes was unable to go out-lived in
house with HoWeS at time.
Cross Examined Been mason 10 years--mortar
was cold that Howes was carrying-HOwes told
me he got it in-tod him not to rub tit was Sun
day boy drove a0T-frequently got mortar in my
eye-Vcry common Occurrence-i wipe eye and
put on cold water-carriers frequently get it i'll
employed fifty different men in the 10 years-never
knew one to be made blind or seriously injured
smart lasts half an houf-the sand is the worst
lime gets out tirst-sand gets out itself in time-I
use cold water bandage.
l. f. Collins, sworn Lived in Belfast 20 years
in May, 1861, lived in same house with Howes-
saw him on the 23d, he was coming out of his
door-he walked towards barn putting out his
hands-when he got to it, he walked by side of
barn, touching it with his hands-he had bandage
over both eyes-he said he had lime in eye, and
wiped it out with coth-he said he could see light,
but no objects-he walked along by barn to corner,
and turned into priyy-he told me had poulticcd
his eyes-nothing said about physician--nor about
crysipelas.
AXe Hayford, sworn. IIowes told me he got
lime in his eyes.
Adoniram j. Howard sworn. Talked with uowes
about his eyes, within weeks-he told me DR..
Monroe applied nitrate of silver
Andrew J. Jackson, blind man, sworn. Live in
Searsmont; am blind-can see light but no persons
have had lime in my cye-it was years ago, it
was whitewash-it was warm--had been mixed
two or three honrs-it was in right eye--then got
cold iii my eye, in orr dayS--in week | was
blind-had no physician up to loss of sight-eyes
panied me badly, discharged matter, and felt az
though they had Goals of fire in them-it lasted 49
hours-never had injury of left eye-thc eve that
had no lime is now worst witness was taken to
jury, for examination of his eyes.
Benz. A. Ford, blind man, sworn. Stuck fork
in my right eye. and lost the sight of it counsel
proposed to show that the sight of the other eye
was lost by sympathetic inflammation. Excluded by
Court.
DIR. N. p. Monroe. defendant, sworn. Am ply
sican and surgeon-diploma from Castleton Med
ical College and Albany Medical Coege-practiced
80 years i'll Belfast-am President Maine Medical
Society-member of National Medical Society
know plantih-on 23d of May, 1867, was sent for
to see Mrs. Howes, who had collie on 26th visited
her agan-she asked me to see Howes eyes, as
they were bad-he was below, and went to him
he held up his head, and saw his eyes were full of
matter-told him to wash them. which he did
told him after looking again that feared his eyes
were dsorganized. and that I was afraid he would
lose them-the inflammation was severe and the
iris protruding-there was inflammation of white
of eye, giving it the appearance of being raised
above the pupil turned down lid and found gram
uation or pimpcs-he complained fpain- the pus
or matter was thick and purulent-found upper lid
in same condition-directed bath of poppy tea-he
told me he got lime in. got cold and had erysipeas
he thought he could cure himself-on 30th had
message to go to him specially-he was not i'm
proved eyes were WOrse-he wanted to know if |