The daily gazette., 1875-08-03
CURING BRAIN WOUNDS.
TEE RECOVERY OF cARRUTH HAS i PARAL
LEI IN HARTFORD.


TEE RECOVERY OF cARRUTH HAS PARAL-
LEI IN HARTFORD.
The recovery Of Carruth, the New Jer-
sey editor, who was shot in the head, the
ball remaining in the cavity of the skull,
is one of the most recent and interesting
cases of brain treatment. But there is q
still later and equally remarkable case to
record. In Hartford, Conn, on the 26th
Of last March, Mr.. NJ. Ballerstein, re-
spectacle elderly gentleman, and a lender
of money, was shot under peculiar cir
cumstances.
He was sitting in his Office after din
ner, when a couple of men entered and
desired to look at some pistols he had in
pawn, and which they thought Of pur-
chasing. He produced them, and was
bargaining with one of the men, when
the other spoke from the further corner.
A bright nickel plated revolver on Bal
lerstein's desk had attracted his atten-
tion, and he examined it csrelessly. At
the moment Barlerstein looked up it was
pointed at his head, and before he could
give a warning the pistol went of, The
old man fell to the floor unconscious, Q
stream of blood trickling from his fore
head. The two others, frightened, fed
Immediately.
Mr.. Ballerstein lay unconscious for
half an hour. Recovering at last he arose
confused, put on his hat and walked out,
locking the door behind him. Then, no.
ticing the wet blood on his face, he re-
entered, looked into the glass, washed
his face, and went out again, turning the
key, and walking to his home, mile dis
tant, with the handkerchief pressed to
his forehead. He walked through .
errwded street. feeling dizzy, but keep
ing up. At home he said to lis wife that
he had fallen by accident, and bade them
send tor Il physician.
DR.. N. Meyer, Of Hartford. who was
long Surgeon General of Connecticut,
and Major Surgeon in the Federallarmy
gical experience, saw him about half
hour after this. Above the right eye
brow, and about an inch and half from
the centre of the forehead, the bullet had
penetrated the skull. A probe slid in to
depth of two and quarter inches, re-
naming in the wound with throbbing
motion peculiar to the brain. The bull
let could not be touched, and it was
thought imprudent to follow it further.
The doctor thought that it must lie
against the top or back Of the skull,
since having penetrated the bono it
would go through the brain like water.
Mr.. Ballerstein was put to bed and kept
perfectly quiet. Next day,Dr. Ellsworth,
one of the first surgeons Of New England.
saw the patient, and concurred in DR.
Meyers diagnosis and treatment. Prof.
Frank Hamilton, Of Bellevue Hospital,
was consulted two days after coming
from New York for that purpose, and he
also fully conceded with the two Hart
ford surgeons
Mr.. Ballerstein lay in perfect quiet,
kept down to starvation point, until the
tenth day, the only symptom being great
indistinctness of speech. The wound
was kept open by little probe, and
nothing else was done. Then it grew
sore, he lost the power Of speech alto
gether. could not swallow. and had sew
eral slight commissions. Now DIR. Meyer
cleared the wound down to the brain, |
and suddenly about a teaspoonful OF |
matter spurted out. This gave some re-
lief.
Later another string Of matter came
away, and day after six leeches were
put on the forehead, and allowed to
bleed for hours afterward. A bag of ice
was kept to his head all the time. After
this he got well, gradually recovering
his speech and growing stronger every
day. Twenty -one days after being shot
he had a collapse, but few teaspoon
fulls of whiskey brought him out of this,
this being the first stlinulant admins
tered. About this time little more mat
ter flowed from the wound, which was
then allowed to heal up.
MIR. Ballerstein's recovery, which at
first was matter of doubt, is now com
plete, as far as can be judged. He is in
full possession of all his faculties, speaks
as well as usual, attends to his business.
and says neither he nor friends notice
any difference in his condition before
and after the accident, only this: the
strict diet cured HIM OF dyspepsia. from
which he had suffered for long time
DR.. Meyer, who was the attending phys
ician all through. considers that Keeping
the wound open and careful dieting Sc
cured Ballerstein's recovery. He re.
ceived no. medicine whatever.