The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-06-19
THE SIMON'S TRAGEDY.
six Days with Bullet In Her Brain and
Conscious, but Speeches..
4 CASE OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE MED1-
CAL PROFESSION.

CAL PROFESSION.
1t is now six days that the bullet Fl
red from her husbands revolver has
laid undisturbcd in Alice Simons' brain
The case is one of unusual interest, and
will rank among the pecn'iarities OF
medical history which now and then
occur to astonish the general reader
aud puzzle the student of affections of
the brain, being in the same category
as the world-famous crowbar case of
DR.. Biglow of Boston. The pulse is at
GO, circumstance peculiar to injuries
and certain diseases of the brain. The
functions of the body are naturally and
regularly performed, and the breath
ing is regular, the sufferer taking long
Inspirations at intervals as a person
would do who is we;lried. The skin is
about natural, both in temperature and
feeling, and the eyes present no unusu.
al appearance, with the exception of a
certain fxidity.
The pulse and state of the skin, al
though indicating no great amount of
fever, afford no proof as to the amount
of inflammation which must necessarily
occur, to greater or lesser extent, in
the region of the bullet and the track it
has taken. Although the right side
has been paralyzed, she can use the
right hand occasionally, and Il part of
the side. The right shoulder seems to
have been injured when she fell, on the
day of the attempted murder, and
when it is touched she gives utterance
to means of pain. The movements of
the left side are perfect, particularly of
the left hand and arm. The wound.
which discharged blood and brain, but
no PARTICLES of bone, up to Sunday, has
ceased discharging since the evening of
that day, and there is no hernia, or
protusion of brain from the hole made
in the skull, such matter as has issued
being of a disorganized character
There is no doubt that particles of the
bone have penetrated the brain, the
edge of the skull-wound being Jagged,
and 10 bone, as already stated, having
appeared in the discharge. No human
skill can tell where the bullet is. 1t
may be on the side opposite the en-
trance. or it may have glanced off, in
coming in contact with the bone, and
returned near the place where it enter
ed, or it may be in any other part of
the skull cavity. Of course it is i'm
possible to probe for it intelligently.-
One of the several things that may hap
been, an abscess is possible where the
bullet has lodged, as in the case of a
flesh wound, which would Indicate it's
position, and might result in its alb
straction; or the bullet may be found
to be near the region of the wound; or
the ball may become nsisted-encased
with hard covering, encrusted with a
sort of bag, in either of which events
perfect recovery, that is, the recovery
Of all the bodily and mental powers of
the patient is possible, although there
would be. at the same time, danger
Of secondary symptoms manifesting
themselves, such as epilepeic fits.
The chances, therefore, in favor of
the patient, although stated above as
fully as truth admits, will be seen to be
slender indeed: and the probabilities
are unquestionably heavily against her.
lnaamai ion has begun it's work, and
may be near, even now beginning to
effect the base of the brain, and the
first indication of its possession of that
stronghold may be found in the death
of the sufferer at any moment. Still,
one or the other of the occurrences sta
ted above may intervene. 1t is impos-
sible to tell what amount of infama-
ton may exist, and what progress it
"5 w Ah"hihS -ehS uPPOdt auCO vi VIC
patient, the state of the pulse, and con-
dition of the body generally, combi-
ming to battle the skill of the surgeon.
The sufferer now lies suspended twixt
life and death, and no surgical skill can
10 more than indicate the possibilities.
Interest in the sufferer is increased
BY the fact that she is ever watchful.
and that she gives every indication of
Consciousness, while still unable to
speak, or even articulate, except in
moments of great pain, when she ejac-
alates EXPLANATORY words with the ut
most clearness. She is necessarily at
tempting to get her wedding ring off
her finger, and once made motions with
the fingers of the right hand that SEEM
ed to suggest that she thought she had
pulled it off the marriage finger, and
was about to throw it away, when an
other reflection induced her to put it
back on another, not the marriage fin
ger. She continually regards the ring,
and will hold up her left hand, often,
as long as her strength lasts, contem-
plating it. She has frequently shown
other