The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-11

string to see tho Commissioner on business
could have access to that officer without
waiting In the ante-room half an hour.
The Commissioners office door was wide
open, as 1t was under all former Commits
sioners except Pleasonton. TIMoN.
A FrIghffnl Accident The Scalp Torn
from n Woman's III cod and Re-
placed.
An accident occurred at the watch fac-
tory in Elgin, H., on Monday last. which
is described as being one Of the most fright
full ever known in that part of the country.
The Elgin Gazette gives the following &C
count Of the affair:
miss Mary Tyrrell, an employe of the
company, was standing in q chair, having
been placing some cases Of watch parts
upon shelf near shaft that is attached
to the upper ceiling of the room. when, as
she turned to get down, her hair was caught
In the coupling of the rapidly.revolvipg
shaft. In an instant she was jerked of her
feet, for brief second suspended by her
locks in the air, and, while giving one
wild shrek OF terror, the scalp was
torn from her head, leaving the poor mu-
tilated victim to drop to the floor a
Notwithstanding object. Falling upon her
hands and knees, she instantly spraug to
u
walked out to the office door, (the office is
place about ten feet square, enclosed by Il
rail;ng) On coming to the door she turned
around, looking up TO the shaft, when she
saw her scalp still ATTACHED, wheeling with
almost lightning rapidly, and with each
turn striking against the ceiling with dull,
heavy sound, that to the poor girl seemed
the voice of doom her feelings finally
found expression in the exclamation: "My
God, must l die: can no one help me ?"
supported by friends she walked into an
adjoining room, where the wound was
dressed by the physicians, Drs. A. L. Clark
and Burlingame, who had been summoned
on the instant, after which, with little sup
port, she walked to, and got into, the car
rage that conveyed her home, where, some
seven hours after the accident. re scalp
was replaced upon the head by DR.. E. Win
chester, assisted by DR.. A. l.. Clark. Since
the accident the patient has suffered but
little pain. sleeps easily, converses quite
freely and with occasional sparkles Of leVity,
and expects TO get well.
Strike q line from between the eyebrows
through the centre OF the left ear to the
back Of the neck; from the back Of the
neck around just below the right ear to the
point where the eye opens, and you have
very nearly the outline Of the wouud-the
entire scalp above that line having been
torn off, carrying with it both eyebrows,
the half Of one ear, and the whole of the
other, leaving the entire skull exposed,
white, and chastity and it is the united
opinion of those who saw the accident that
if she had been permitted, as she desired
within few minutes after the occurrence,
to look at herself in glass, the sight would
have killed her. Old soldiers who were in
the room unanimously pronounce IL the
most frightful sight to look upon they had
ever seen.
Nothing has ever occurred IN our mldst
that has created so strong feeling OF pity,
regret, and sympathy as has the misfortune
of this young lady. Prepossesslng IN ap-
pearance, with kind word for all, she was
a general favorite, and there being but a
slight chance for her to survive, strong
anxiety was manifested by every one, and
when it became known that there was u
disagreement between the physicians as to
the proper mode of treatment III the case,
a new fear seemed to arise that the proper
treatment might not be adopted, and thus
lose the only chance for life.
The issue was upon the question whether
the scalp should be replaced upon the head
or not after it had been off some seven
hours-Dr. Winchester thinking it should
be, aud Or. Clark thinking 1t should not.
DTs W lllCucSlCl gave uo uio lCtlooh ioA hiS
theory that if the girl should recover with
an exposed skull the recovery could be but
temporary; that il the scalp would grow fast
again the cure might be permanent; that the
scalp was the natural, therefore the proper,
dressing, and should be placed back, so
that the girl should have the benefit of the
chance, though slight, of its growing on,
which she certainly would not have if it
were left of. Dr.. Clark claimed, ON the
contrary, that it was not the proper dress
ing, and that to replace it would lessen the
girl's chances of recovery. 1t was finally
decided to adopt DR.. WIS theory, and it
was replaced. -Four days have passed, and
at present writing Judge Wilcox, at whose
residence the girl is living, expresses be-
lief that the experiment will prove sue
cess, the scalp has every appearance of
being healthy, and the patient says that, If
she can be judge from the feeling, her
head is well. She still suffers from the
strain Of the neck. Up to to-day she had
eaten nothing except in liquid form, but is
now able TO eat. Should she recover, and
the scalp attach itself, it will be one Of the
most wonderful cures on record. The al
tending ply stefan expresses no opinion in
regard to it; other practitioners seem to
think that recovery is next to impossible"