Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-03
BULLETS IN THEIR BRAINS.
Too WOMId-Be Suicides Who LiVe Along
IN Spite of the Doctors.


IN Spite of the Doctors.
New York Star
Ten days ago DR.. Trevonian Haight, q
leading physician of Newark, attempted
suicide by shooting himself in the head with
revolver. Although the bullet penetrated
his skull and lodged in the tissue of his
brain, the doctor is alive and does not suffer
much physical inconvenience. He is able to
walk and talk and attend to such business
matters as do not require much exertion.
His case is regarded as the most extraordi-
nary in the annals Of the medical fraternity,
and many physicians have visited him to
hear from his own lips narrative of his re-
markable experience.
DR.. Haight was found in one of the par
lors of his handsome brown-stone mansion,
No. "a Kinney street, Newark, yesterday, by
a reporter. AS he was feeling much fatigued
from previous conversations he did not feel
disposed to talk at any length, but a brother
physician who was with him spoke in his
stead. DR.. Haight was lying upon couch
resting himself. What little DIR. Halght
said had reference to his patients, and he
seems to be very much worried in regard to
two or three cases which he was attending
at the time he shot himself. He was ra-
tional, and his appearance was such that no
one who was not aware that there was bull
let in his brain would imagine that there was
anything the matter with the man.
The doctor who was with him said: eve
don't want the doctor to know that we are
alarmed about his condition, but the fact is
we consider that his death is only question
of time.''
"But he doesn't seem in q dangerous
condition now," remarked the reporter.
sOh, he is in no immediate danger, and
he may live for weeks, and even months
GLOW do you account for the fact that the
doctor retains his consciousness and COM
parative physical health when he has ball
in his brain?'' -....
"Although this is an extremely rare and
singular case" answered the attending
physician, sit can be accounted for on scien-
tifc principles. The bullet entered the doc
tors head little above and in front of the
right ear. 1t lodged in the upper part of the
brain, in which are the intellectual facnlties.
Had it penetrated the lower part of the
brain, where the motive organs are situated,
death would have been instantaneous, or
would, at the most, have been postponed
only a few hours. The motive or animal
faculties of the brain are those which act
| through the nerves upon the involuntary
muscles of the heart and lungs. The physical
organization of the whole body is paralyzed
| when the basilar brain is injured. Under
certain circumstances the top of a PERSONS
head could be cut into, and he might still
| breathe and his heart would beat.'
"But you have said that DR.. Haight must
die, and that his death is only question OF
time. If the bullet is, as you say, lodged il
the intellectual faculties, why is there nc
chance of his ultimate recovery" @
| 81 will explain. The tissue of the brair
is very soft. Any heavy substance, like lead
which may be deposited in the brain, viii
| gradually settle downward in the delicats
tissue. The bullet in DR.. Haight's head, By
the mere attraction of gravitation, will, yor
see, sink until it reaches the lower region o.
the brain, and then death will ensue."
Several physicians who have visited DR.
Haight have expressed the opinion that tn,
bullet might be probed for and extracted
but as this operation would be extremel,
hazardous it has not been attempted. I
the probe should touch certain portions O.
the brain, the patient would die almost in
stantly.
DIR. Haight is about As years of age, ant
his naturally strong physical constitution
has enabled him to endure what most Other
| persons could not. During the first two o.
three days after he shot himself there wa
some engagement of blood in his wound
but when that subsidized healthy suppuratio1
| set in, and one or two of the Newark physi
clans were sanguine enough to hope for thu
wounded mans full restoration to health.
4 ID - H. 1919 - AoI~, L..
own life was great surprise to the com
munity. He had large practice among tn.
wealthy people of Newark, and there was, *
far as known even to his intimate friends
no financial, domestic or social trouble
| which could lead him to commit suicide
The rumors that the doctor was on the verg'
that he shot himself while laboring under
fit of melancholia. A somewhat singula,
fact in connection with the case is that fo
several years the doctor has made diseases
and injuries to the brain special study, anC
one theory is that he became temporarily in
sane from excessive application to this re
search.
Remarkably coincident in the case of DR.
Haight is the attempted suicide of Charles
Hoehnie, young German of Newark, whs
shot himself in the head on the goth o
February, and who is still alive. The case
however, differs from that of the doctor il
that Hoehnie has not been conscious for
moment since the wound was inflicted Hi
physical condition is marvellous, but from
the first his physicians had no hope of hi
recovery. In Hoehnie's case the bullet en-
tered the brain two inches lower than tn,
doctors wound, but the motive organs ar,
untouched. Inflammation of q dangerou
character set in several days ago, and at las
accounts death was momentarily expected
A surgeon who was in the army during tn
rebellion said that he had seen all kinds o
lgun-shot wounds in the head but he neve
knew of such remarkable cases as those o
DR.. Haight and the young German. AAd
DR.. Haight is carefully watched day AMI
night, and no visitors are allowed to ente
into extended conversation with him. al
though he is rational the most of the time
his mind will occasionally wander, and hi
language will be vague and incoherent. ii
perfectly realizes his condition, and know
that he cannot recover, but he has not ono
expressed any regret for his attempt q
suicide. The pistol with which he shot him
self was an ordinary revolver, carrying
medium sized bullet.
STONE WELLS OF ARIZONA.
Natural Formations Ia an Artd Deses.
Arizona Sentinel. II 1
i A wonderful place is Tinajas, about thirt
miles southeast of Mission Camp. Tn
mountains have one face OF hard. smooth