The New York herald., 1879-12-16
MAcEvoY's SEVERED BRAIN.

THE PATERSON BOYS DEATH AFTER IINGER-
mo FIVE DAYs--A REMARKABLE MEDICAL
John MacEvoy. the Paterson lad. whose brain was
sawed nearly in half ON Monday of last week. died
at the St. Josephs Hospital, in that city. Sunday
at about two A. M. having survived his injury five
days and ten hours. The extraordinary nature Of
the injury and the fact Of 80 long survival OF 1t
attracted NO little attention from the medical frater
nity and from four of the phyzicians of Paterson
who were familiar with the case the HxRALp re-
porter yesterday learned its history far it is
known. MacEvoy was boy about fifteen years DID,
rather tall for his age. active but SLENDER and look
ing child overgrown He had obtained employ
ment on Monday at place where he had
worked year before, and was d. sent into
mill with another boy to gather sawdust. He was
doing this under a circular saw which had been
stopped for the workman to tighten tho belt. Hav-
ing done the other started the saw suddenly not
knowing that the boys under the table. The
rovolves 1t Is said, at speed OF $500 revolu-
tons minute. 1t is twelve inches in diameter and
some nine inches of this under the table. The
boys hearing the in motion started to get out.
All in the shop heard noise as II the saw had struck
q srone and the workman saw one boy jump from
under the table. Then he saw . hat fly out. and
looking under the table saw GacEvoy lying with his
head cut open.
He was at once picked up and carried to DR..
Garnetts office. Dr. Warner and DR.. Garpett chanced
to be there together and ut once examined the
wound They found that the saw had made clean
cut from the crown centre OF the hair ut the top
the head to the right side OF the The right
upper eyelid was completely severed. but the eye
bali was untouched. The cut three-sxteenths
smooth o on neo To Dr. ssr The boy was able
to walk and told how the accident had happened.
He appealed TO- Dr. Garnet: to save his ilfe. saying
however. agreed that he had not chance to live.
They dressed his wound as well as possible stitch
ing the scalp and the flesh OF the face loosely to-
eether and sent him to the hospital to die a. COM
fortably A. might be- -
nett he ought to have died under the table. It did
not occur to me that he had chance to live. aud
hardly thought he would reach the hospital siives
Strengthened mp several times. and the physicians
were obliged to tell him repeatedly to lie still.
After the dressing he able to walk. and took In
his hand glass Of whiskey the physicians gave him,
which he drank without assistance.
ssfrom that time, said DR.. Garnet, 1.-The case was
In the hands OF DR.. Marsh, who is the physician In
charge Of the hospital for December saw the boy
s ws g sssr as he
was alive. and went to visit him. During the
week he ssemed to get little better but on
Of interesting features that1 noticed His left side
untary muscular action. For instance. II his left
foot or leg pinched tickled he would move It
away but if you asked him to move it he could not:
His right brain would not work, but there seemed
to be evidence that the loft brain tried to assume the
functions Of both for on ne pen MS
until he had the convulsions.
/ Dr. Garnett told several short conversations, which
showed that the boy conscious and rational and
declared 1t wonderful It WAS great pity. he
said. that the boys father had positively refused to
allow the head to be examined and the exact extent
Of the injury could not therefore be ascertained
The boy had suffered the most intense pain he said
had aa CHARGE Of said
he thought the most remarkable thing In the case
the nature of the wound. II was made in
probably the only way in which such wound could
be made without producing immediate death. It
was Of u similar nature to an incised wound. but
sabre cut Of the same extent would infallioly
cause death at once. He had probed the wound to
the depth of an inch and half, and knew that the
cut was at least OF that depth and believed It was
head moved at the moment OF the cut so that 1t
was trimmed around" and this he did not believe
He said that the left side of the body was rigidly
contracted. but he did not think 1t was psralyzed
He also thought that the boys mental faculties were
almost dead. though he admitted that he would an
swer questions three or four times repeated. The
Immediate Of death. he said, were the convu-
sions. These were caused directly by the wound
any injury to the brain tending to produce them.
DR.. Quinn. the chief surgeon OF the hospital, who
has I'd for fhss
the boy was parayzed his LETT side. He did not
seem to be as much impressed with the strangcness
OF the case a. younger doctors, saying that many
wonderful cases had come under his notice in his
long practice One cause OF 1t was that so much
machinery used in the city. Two cases. how.
machinery.
..There was . boy, named Murphy said he. "wno
fell of the window of No. las Mill street whom
he Ave years DID, and struck his forehead against
o curbstone. When they picked him mp more than
teaspoonfu OF brain matter had oozed out of his
head. but he got we'll and lived to be twenty-five
years old. Then there is Joe Murray. You may sec
him almost any day walking around the streets
here. He IL lsTne and drags one foot 2 little. One
day in 1864 was going along near Ellison street
and some people came running after me. I went
into basement and found Joe Murray had been
shot in the right eye two minutes before with but
the bullet fstened against the back Of his skull 1s
there yet. but Joe got we and his mental faculties
are unimpaired. I've been intending to make .
post-mortem examination Of hts head. but begin
to think the old man will outlive me-" h 4.
DR.. Quinn. however, said thst though MacEvoy .
recovery had been within the scope Of possibility he
had not expected It,.