St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-09-28
Remarkable Recoveries from Brain
Wounds.

A confederate soldier from the valley
of Virginia, in one of the battles of the
late civil war was struck on the head
by ii mimic ball. The ball passed
through the skull, and the surgeons,
afraid to probe the wound in search of
it, left the man to die. In the course
of time he recovered, but had lost his
reason, and was sent to the insane
asylum at Staunton, where he remained
for II years. At length DR.. Fauntleroy,
an eminent physician of that city Oh
tanned permission from the asylum au-
thOrities and friends of the insane man
to make a surgical examination of the
head with the hope of finding the ball.
He was successful, and found the ball
imbedded on the inside of the skull and
pushing against the brain. Unable to
extract it with any instrument at hand,
he took Il chisel and mortised it out.
AS soon as the ball was removed reason
resumed its control, and the deranged
one was in his right mind. He says
that he is not conscious of anything that
occurred during the interval of II
years. From the time he was struck
on the battlefield to the moment the
pressure was removed from the brain
all was blank to him. Another case in
the same county of Augusta was that of
boy whose gun burst while shooting,
and drove the lock into the brain. The
piece was taken out by skillful sur
geOn without serious injury to the pa
tient. But the most remarkable case
WAS in the same neighborhOOd. 1t was
that of a woman subject to fits of men
tai arrangement. While in spell of
lunacy she drove an eight-penny nail
into the brain-the nail having been
driven up to its head. The nail was
drawn out, and the woman has been in
sound mental condition ever since
Wheeling ". Va.) Register.
"BIG INJUN.n-Stories III connection
with the Centennial are still in order,
and the following, from eastern Maine,
will compare favorahly with any that
have been narrated: The Passama-
quOddy tribe of Indians, from their To-
cation upon the border line between
Maine and the Provinces, have much to
do in Il business way with the mer-
chants of Calais and vicinity, so that in
their frequent intercourse with these
gentlemen all formality is thrown aside,
and the Indians often call the parties
addressed by their Christian names. A
company of gentlemen representing the
locality spoken of, while on their sum-
mer travels last year, visited Philadel-
phia, and among other attractions there
that interested them was an announce
ment that not far from the Centennial
grounds ga band of wild Indians, fresh
from the prairies of the far West" were
on exhibition. 1t was decided to visit
this novel combination, and, following
the directions given, the Maine gentle
men soon found themselves within an
extensive pavilion, at the farther end
OF which was a group of red men gaily
decked with paint, feathers and other
trappings, causing them to present a
wild and savage appearance. AS the
visitors gazed upon the scene, suddenly
one of the Indians started from the
platform where he and his companions
were placed, and, making his way
through the crowd, approached the del
egatiOn from the ''Pine Tree State
much to their surprise, and, slapping in
familiar way one of their number up
on the shoulder, shouted out: 'How
you do, Wallace How all folks down
Calais Ugh" !" 1t is hardly necessary
to add the Indian proved to be an old
acquaintance, and that the entire CON-
pany were from the Passamaquoddy
tribe, hired and painted for the occa-
sion.