The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-06
WON DERs VITALITY.
An lrOn- worker Works with n Part
of His >cull in His Pocket.
Phila 1elnhia Timpsl

An lrOn- worker Works with a Part
of His >culi in His Pocket.
philadelphia Tmesl.
On June %, 1878, F. Marion Davis. a
heater in the rolling-mill of the Phila-
dephia Iron and Steel Company, was
struck by nm iron clamp weighing four
teen pounds, which was thrown with ter
rible force from the shaft of a revolving
fy-wheel.. The clamp was in the form
OF the letter q, made of square iron, and
one of the exterior angles of the iron at
the curved part OF the clamp struck Mr..
Davis in the forehead, breaking loose
and partly forcing through the skin a
crescent-shaped fragment of the frontal
bone, measuring three inches in extreme
length and seven-eights Of an inch in
width in the center or widest part, thus
producing not only compound fracture
of the skull but cutting through the
longitudinal sinus or large blood-vessel
of the interior of the top Of the head per-
mitting an extrusion and loss of a con-
siderable portion of the brain substance.
This form of fracture, known as ecrase-
ment, or "smash," consists not only. of a
crushing of the bone itself but also of a
separating of the neighboring sutures.
Beside the injury to the skull there was
a loosening of the teeth, and such in
juries of the jaws that the patient was
unable to open his mouth for three
weeks.
Mr.. Davis was carried home, in the
vicinity of the mill, and Dr.I. G. Young
of Kensington, was Immediately sum-
moned. On an examination of the
wounds they were pronounced necessari-
ly fatal. DR.. d. H. Agnew, Professor of
Surgery in the University of Pennsyl-
vania, was called in consultation, ami he
agreed with DIR. Young that the LESSONS
were of such nature that there was no
hope of saving the mans life, but that
while there was life there was something
to work for, and everything was done
which the feelings of humanity and surg
ical skill could suggest. On the third
day after the accident another consulta
ton was held by DR.. Young and Pro-
fessor Agnew, but there were no new
developments in the case from which
they could gather hope, and it was not
until the expiration of abest the fifth
week that any encouragement was given.
In about nine weeks the wound was
closed by soft tissue, and few months
later about one-half the cavity was closed
by new bony formation, and the re-
naming part is now covered by soft It's
sue, through which the pulsations of the
brain are plainly visible.
Notwithstanding the great danger i'm
pending over Mr.. Davis SO many months,
he has, entirely recovered his physical
powers His mental characteristics, al
though materially changed, are consid-
cred wonderfully good when the facts of
the case are taken into consideration.
The remarkable features of this case can
better be understood when the fact is
considered that out Of nine similar cases
reported in the Medical and Surgical
History of the Late War" all proved
fatal, and there is. but one well authenti-
Gated case approaching this in app rent
hopelessness which resulted in the re-
covery of the patient-being that Of DR..
Harlow, referred to in the second volume
of "Gross' Surgery" in which the patient
apparently regained his accustomed men
tai and physical condition, and lived
tselve years after having had tamping-
iron, weighing thirteen pounds, propelled