Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-09-27
Space.
Loosing Part of His Brain.


LoOsing Part of Els Brain.
Pottsville, Pa. dispatch says: The medi-
Gal fraternity in this part of the world are just
now greatly interested 10 case which may
eventually creep into the books 1t has spread
| to common people. who take great pleasurs in
| Informing each other-pointiug to Valentine
Kemmerer-that man may loose 4 coed deal
of his brain and yet live very comfortable ex.
i6toro,.
% the afternoon Of August 25 train on the
Philadelphia and Rsadiog Railroad pulled up
at station abou Is miles from this place. A
| man who hsd apparently bsen waiting for the
| train boarded it. lie was vary unsteady in his
| movements The trannen and passengers
| looked upon him as drunk. He dropped into
q seat aud paid 20 attenti 10 to anYooe. The
conductor asked bin for his ticket. BE made
90 re Spouse.
When hoelIy told that unless be produced o
| ticket he would b. pu! off the train, he, after
| much fumbliug 10 his pockets. hsnded out 6
dollar bIli. When asked about bis destination
| ne gave no sDsWer, and the conductor, fuding
thaf ne had enough money, took the maus
fare ter 7 ottSVille and gave aim the change out
of his dollar.
When Five Points. station about Eve miles
from this psco, was reached the ID 20 tried to
| leave tho train. He was prevented by the COO
duoior, who was afraid he would g,t injured.
At tho next station. Port Carbon, he again
| tried to leave the train. As Port Corbon is on,
l3 two miles ty road ftom Pottsve, the man
! was allowed to do as ne pleased. As &c left the
|. 'rsir hostsPgered like drunken man at would
have fallen but for Geo. Holders saloon keeper,
Hho recognized him as resideus OF Five Points.
It soon became evident be was not under the
! uhast os of liquor Dr.. Thomas Birch. Of Por.
OsTOun, was caIlod TO sttetd hin. Hs found
the man uuable to sneak. His right sidc arm,
and leg we're paralg,d. BE was unable to com
| prehend anything tina. might be said to him.
He was emsclsted to painful degree, and
| seemad Gu tho verge Of the grave.
In touohlpg certain pnrt of kemmeror's
head, DR.. Birch felt him wiuoe. A close in-
spooslou of the particular spot revealed re.
Gently healed wound. The hair had grown over
1t. bus it could be seen the! the skin seemed of
very recent growth. A small pieos of the ecalp
| URs removed. Then there was revealed the
broken end of knife blade.
The operation of trephinpg was performed
and piece of the skull about the s;zs of Sill
YER quarter removed. 10 the centre OF this,
go firmly lmbedded that it could not be re-
moved without. breaking the bone, was found
broken knife blade. Oae snd three.eigh hts
ioches OF the blade penetrated the brain. The
Snifesblade entered the skull near the anterior
Superior anglo Of the left parictsl bone, then
penetrated The snterlor porsion Of the left lobe
of the cerebrum.
When the operation had been performed an
abscoss was found surrounding the poin. of the
blade This was removed. In removiog it
about two ouGcas of brain matter wero also re-
moved aud tissue that would cover the palm of
an ordinary hand. The operation was perform.
| cd on Angus. &c. Before it was made it was
evident that she man Was dying; otherwise, per.
haps. Dr.. Birch would have deIibera.ed before
takiog the risk.
1t has since become known that Kemmerer
worked in biickysrd on Georges Island,
WessoheEtcr county, N. Y. Ga August 18th
be was stabbed. From that time until long
| after he reached home his mind was blank.
He will probably never be able to tell how ho
reached hone
His condition ia improving wonderfully. The
or6oe in bis skull looks healthy. It still cmits
flow of pus, but the flow is daily growing lcsp.
dis eye looks bright, and the cloud is gradually
Iiting from bis brain. He hes regained the
use of his limbs, and oan walk about quite
easily. He can use bis right arm and hand,
though not very we'll. He seems to understand
what is said. but cannot express himself He
makes the most tremendous efforts to speak.
He c,n say Yes and NO" bat that
ia the extent OF bis talking powers up to
date. His appetite is good, tremendous ="
his wife says: He sleeps we'll at night, bu. sel
dom during the day. The popular tbeory-po.,
OF course, among medical men-is that the for.
cible oDtrance of auy foreign substances into the
brain will cause instant death. Kemmerer's
case will have the effeo: of completely ex,io-
gushing this theory wherever it ia heard Of
DR.. Birch is confident tha. his patient will
fully recover, and in this opinion most Of his
colleagues are with him. Accidents in which
both skull and brain. but particularly the for.
mer. suffer INJURY, are Of frequent occurrence
Here is one which is bad enough in it's way Il
head the ist, Al Wilson is an engineer on the
Reading road. He has been for lumber 0
years Some time .go-ssverRl yesrs-he Wal
: oiIing his engine as 1t stood at a station. Hi
: head wrs between the piston rod and the eccen
trio when his fireman, who was unaware of Viii
sons position, put hia hand on the lever snc
started the engine. Wilscn's head cccul lad tn
position Of nut IN nut cracker. The re,ui
to his skull was what would have happened tc
the nut if the cracker had been used in the ordi
nary way Wilson'S skull WAS cracked not il
one place, hut in several places. He was picket
!, up IN an unconscious condition His death wa
t looked upon asiuevitable. Blight inches squ.r,
OF bone were taken from his SKULL Toe braiy
{ was unpiured. To-day he runs his engine AM
is conHidered one of the best men on the road
But if Kemmerer gets we'll, and the chance
, seem to be altogether in his favor, he will be
} natural curiosity.
: PURE WH1TE sld GROUND SPICES at Nc
BURNEY & Sons.
FAIRFAX COUNTY CIDER VINEGAR 3 year
8 old. The best md most reliable for PICKLES
: Never fails Sold by GEO. MCBURNEY & Son
I9~ The best Summer beverage-BELFAs
: GINGER ALE.
GEO. McBURNEY l. Son.