The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-06
a MEDICAL MYSTERY.
Extraordinary Case of Extended Stupor.

| AhC nOeiICdi lHdGcIuItJ Oh VeStcuSStcI
County, says the New York Herald, are
exceedingly puzzled over case wherein
the usual prescription of morphine, adj
mlnistered for the purpose of producing
unconsciousness to enable the physic-
ian to amputate fractured limb, result
ed in death yesterday morning. The
circumstances OF the case are as follows:
On the afternoon of the 18th INST.
Patrolman John P. Sheridan, of the
Ihlrty-ff Precinct, Kingsbridge, took
a carriage to go to a funeral, but before
he had proceeded far his horse became
unmanageable and the officer jumped
from the vehicle to the ground for the
purpose of holding him but his foot
unfortunately became entangled in the
wheel, and before he could extricate it
| his leg was fractured in two places.
Some of the policeman's friends prompt
| ly came to his relief, and he was convey
ed to hotel near by. Police Surgeon
| Varian was at once dispatched for, and,
arriving, rendered medical assistance,
setting the bones and binding the leg to
pillow, intending, after the nervous
shock to the mans system had sufficient
| ly abated, to perform amputation, which
was rendered absolutely necessary from
the nature of the injuries. The patient
| 1nfo w
for something to assuage it, and the
physician procuring grain of morphine,
and dividing it into four equal parts, ad-
| ministered one of them, with instruc-
tons to an attendant to give another
within few hours in case the first failed
! to produce sleep. This was in the eve
ming about 10 o'clock. Two hours later
the attendants, seeing Sheridan still
awake and tossing restlessly, gave him
the second dose. Three hours more
| passed away without any visible effect
from the medicine, and the nurse was
about to renew the dose when Sheridan
| sunk into deep sleep, from which he
never awakened. Dr. Varian paid two
or three visits the next day, each tlne
feeling satisfied that the mans condition
was natural, the protracted sleep being
but the ordinary result of the combined
influence of the opiate and the nervous
shock. Wishing, however, to set at
rest the anxiety displayed by Sheridan's
LOT Ill
Police Surgeon Purroy, of Fordham,
into consultation, and the latter physic-
ian arrived Monday afternoon, and after
examining the patient pronounced him
doing as well as could be expected under
the circumstances, giving the assurance
that there was nothing to be feared.
All day Tuesday Sheridan lay uncon-
scious, occasionally opening his eye-lids
and rolling his eyes in istless, wand
ering manner. Every effort to arouse
hin proved unsuccessful, but now and
then a low moaning sound would escape
his lips. DIR. Varian at last became
alarmed and determined upon calling
council of physicians. Accordingly he
had summoned Drs. Purroy and Kellogg,
of Fordham; Dr.. Parson, of Kings
bridge; DR.. Shrady, of New York, and
DR.. Jenkins, of Yonkers, all of whom
made an extended and careful examina-
ton of the patient. An electric battery
was brought into requisition and pow
erful shocks were given, but they pro-
duced apparently not the slightest effect
upon the sleeper. Other means were
then tried, but with no better success,
and the physicians were at last compell-
ed to admit their skill bafied. He could
not be awakened. Sheridan continued
in this state of stupor until 1l:30 o'clock
yesterday morning, when he breathed
his last. The physicians were divided in
the opinion as to the cause of his death,
some attributing it to the morphine that
had been administered, and others con-
tending that the mans brain had been
injured by the accident. This latter
theory seems unsupported by facts, in
asmuch as no commissions ON the head
were to be found. The quantity of
morphine given was not an unusual one;
if anything it was below the average |
dose.
At late hour last night the inquest
was concluded. The jury rendered a
verdict that the deceased came to his
death from hemorrhage of the brain, and
not from an overdose of morphine.