The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-13
THE v1NELAND SHOOTING.


THE RECOVERY OF oARRUTH THE MOST m
VARIABLE ON REcoRD-sTATEMENT OF PRO
FEssoR MoRGAN--sNGULAR PHASE OF THE
cAsE--TELEscoPIc VISION.
PHILADELPHIA, June II 1875.
Mr.. Carruth. the editor OF the Vineland Inde-
pendent who was shot by Charles X. Lands, the
phllanthropist in March last, has now almost re-
covered from his wound, and Mr.. Lands his as
Bailant, has taken up mis- abode IN this city since
his release BAN last week. The recovery Of
Carruth Is regarded as a marvel In The history Of
surgery ana has occasioned much wondering
comment among medical men. The size OF
the bullet its direction after entering the
brain and the depth OF penetration were al
circumstances which seemed to point TO his
death as being a certainty in very snort time, n
not Immediately. NO one until lately yentured 10
predict his recovery, ana the chances oil the
patient were considered still more precarious. IN
the opinion OF the great majority OF physicians, oY
the fact that ne under tile care OF hom9o.
pathic men or medicine. HIS recovery, remark
able as II H. IS therefore regarded az very I'm
portant one for the interests Of the followers OF
nannemann. and much interest Is manifested IN
the history OF the case. One or the professors In
the hahnemann Medical College, upon whom /
called for an opinion OF the case OF Carruth SAID
this morning -'I believe that the deptn OF pene-
ttatlon the ball in tins exceeds that OF any
other on record IN which recovery took place."
THE SURGICAL HISTORY or THE CASE.
DR.. j. a. Morgan, OF tnis city, who was the sur
geon having the Cast Carruth In charge, iavors
tne HERALD WIN the following history OF TINS re-
markabie case -
Ii seems necessary to state the facts OF the case
in order 10 dspossess The pubic OF inaccurate I'm
pressions anoat. II viii be remembered that on
March ~ Lands fred the outlet wnlcn entered the
posteriOr OF Tie Aead, aoout the horizontal line
and a little 10 the right, ranging forward ana
lodging evidently somewne near the right eye,
producing instant INCONSISTENCIES ana causing
Carrutn 10 I0 heavily to the door The eyes OF the
woundel man we're eccnymosed, especially the
right one, and for some time ~ was matter OF
oouot wne her the iall on the moor was
! not largely the cause. But the extent
and peIsl tence Of THIS eccnynosis around
the right e,e was such, together with
the aIreetion II the bullet 1t was concluded IL
must be due 10 a fracture OF portion OF the base
OF the skuH. physician IN the neignborhood
had removed loose piece OF bone before Or. 4. X.
fuller, homeopathic physician, was called oY the
family OF Carrutn ana took cnarge OF tue case Ky
the desire OF Lands, DR.. Crosse Jr, the allopaihc
surgeon also appeared on the following day. He,
too removed a piece OF Loose bone but found the
bullet inaccessible. The patient nad 0y this time
recovered consciousness under hommopath ic
medication, and desired TO be treated exclusively
10y the homeopathic system, upon which was
summoned by teleRrapn on the second day after
the woundIng. arrived on the afternoon OF the
following day. proDed the wound carefully and
found tie ban deeply embedded IN the brain,
which had closed over It's track. Recos-
\ nizng the fact thaJ further exploration
would certainly be unjus11abie made no further
4 effort IN that direction, the symptoms being eX-
u cellenf u1der his lOmU opathlc tle atmeut. tnen
dressed the wound with reference 10 the pre-
4 yeuuon OF any untowar1 event, taking advantage
oil ITS position 10 secure drainage OF the newt
able sDppuratlon. Consulting vita his family
physician, Dr. Tuller, we agreed upon the course
OF medicatOn to be followed. Tne ca progressed
IN favorable a manner as we could nave ex-
pected, Tut sometimes we were very much
alarmed ana des paired OF saving him. The wound
al.cnar.e a freely IS the nealng process went on,
imperfect on the let stde, with either or
BON eyes. HIS pulse ranged az first from
IN nd Hes m
Il rose 10 u. After we mad been IN
consultation Tor some days my colleague
OF the hahnemana Melcal College, Professor A.
X. Thomas was called 70 JOIN the consultation on
single occasion, on winch he eoncurred IN our
creased 10 rapidly as the c,catIlza CT the
wOunu Went On but II was only after q lapse or
seven WeeAs that ne was atoWeu 20 st UP, "a
order tnat the perfect drainage Of tue wound
might not be IBterlered witn matter absolut ely
vital 70 hul. After that time ne was gradually
allowed more liberty, and al the end OF the second
month ne vas got INTO a CHAIR and a wees later
could walk with assistance. Tue wound sun con-
tluues u disca2r-e very small amount OF lymph,
pus having ceased 10 be formed. Imperfect
vision Of the lett SIDE OF objects SIN continues 10
some extent, ouI another more
REMARKABLE FEATURE
I has been developed since ne mas been sitting up.
lie mas telescope yisions-tnat is to say ne can
II perceive distant objects, which other eyes could
scarcely discern, With wonderful cearness OF
vision, and ne cannot judge OF distances, often
near oy. Inc leitsided opscurity oil vision 10
another remarkable feature Of the case especially
u
pnys.ol0glsts IN the same field. IL Is their con-
ciusion that the optic nerve oil either side Is
largely concerned Nttn the supply OF visual power
TO the sane side or both eyebails, there being an
optic nerve arising from each side OF the brain.
Further Information on this subject may be found
IN the "dedlc4l ana Surgical History or the Re-
belion, p 1T J.; surgical volume, page 20In In
TINS case the injury Is evidently the right nerve.
NOV, the CONCLUSION OF physiologists Is that the
lett size Of objects is seen by the rtght side OF
elther eyeean, the lines OF VISION crossing The
aka or tle eye on Tue way 10 the retina. Tue OBJ.
servatOns made ia the Gaze OF CaTrutn tend 10
conntm these two conclusions Of science, and
therefore aud greatly 70 the inerest Of the case.