Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-14

SUI a0&C AOA1 RAAMA' n D.
pOIntment.
EaYPT, ETFINaHAN COUNTY, Ga, November
12.-Editor Morning NesUs: Having frequently
seen in your much esteemed paper solicita-
tions for news items, I am led to believe that
a few news jottings from "Old En1ngham"
might escape the waste basket" and find
place in some Of your issues. therefore send
you the following:
1t indeed seems true that trouble never
comes single handed" for following the series
Of bad crop years we now have the most sickiy
season that has been known for the last
decade. Our physicians have about as much,
or more, than they can attend to. Dr. R. g.
Norton. for several weeks past. has been trav-
cling day and night visiting the sick. his prac-
tice extending across the centre and upper por-
ton Of the county from the Savannah river on
the one side to the ogeechee on the other DIR.
B. Hall Smith has also been kept busy pretty
much in the same locality. until sickness Of the
congestive fever type overlook him and stayed
his efforts to relieve the suffering. He now
has, however, sufficiently recovered to partially
resume his practice.
DIR. r. g. Norton on the morning of the Sd
came very near losing his life by an overdose
of morphine, given through mistake Of his
little son for quinine. The doctor for several
though ne kept going, except during the time the
chill was on him, and had been prescribing for
himself. On the night before this so nearly
fatal mistake. he arrived at his room about
nine O'Clock sick and worn out from q lengthy
visit he had just made to sick lady residing
on the Savannah river. At ~ o'clock he was
called to visit the sick child of one of his
patrons residing on the Ogeechee river side OF
the county. From this visit he returned to his
home at about three o'clock next morning,
then retired for rest, which, doubtless. he
much needed. little dreaming of the terrible
struggle just before him to escape that sleep
which knows no waking" Before arising
from bed, some time before his usual break
fast hour, he asked his son Robbie to give him
some quiDine ROBBIE took from the mRntel-
piece In the bedroom a bottle which he sup
posed was quinine, and gave his father, as he
thought. dose OF quinine. Nothing to the
effects Of morphine in his system. He then
called to Robbie to show him the bottle from
which he had gotten the quinine The bottle
were realized. He had given his father
about fifteen grains of morphine instead
Of Quinine The doctor at once administered
directions to his family for his relief The feel
ings of the doctor and his terrorstricken fami-
ly, under such circumstances, can better be
imagined than described. The writer of this
was present few hours after the terrible mis-
take occurred, when the awful effects of the
poison seemed to be at its worst, when fear had
blotted out every hope Of recovery from the
family, consisting of wife with tiny infant
of only two weeks, and four other children, in
Guiding the almost crazed son who had made
the terrible mistake, and he prays that he may
never be called upon to witness another such
heartrending scene. DR.. B. Hall Smith was at
once sent for and when he arrived, though a
young physician, and doubtless the first time
he had been called to case OF the kind-one
well calculated to try the skill and nerves
OF older and more experienced heads
he went heroically to work. and
care informed that when Dr. A. B. Lanier ar
rived (who had also been sent for) he approved
all that DR.. Smith had done in the treatment
of the case. Through the skill of Drs. Lanier
and Smith, assisted by the relatives and friends
of DR.. Norton, he was considered out Of dan
ger by twelve o'clock on the night after the
fearful occurrence. At this time, though no
fears are entertained from the immediate ef-
fects OF the poison, still the after effects are
very unpleasant, and the fever which the doc
tor had before still continues, though it Is un.
der control and we trust that he win soon be
restored to his wonted health and usefulness
Just here let me remark that some may think
strange that a boy should mistake bottle of
morphine for quinine; but when il is remem-
bered that they are generally put up in bottles
very similar IN appearance, and both labeled
with the prefix "Sulphate," it Is not at Ali
strange that such mistake should occur: the
greater wonder is that it does not occur often
er. Might not our lawmakers more perfectly
guard against these terrible mistakes by franz
ing a statute so as to require that morphine and
all other deadly drugs be not only plainly Ia
beled, but put in bottles altogether different
from any other medicine-in cOlored glass. FOR
instance-and make it a crime for vendors of
drugs to put them in any other
some lime since you made mention through
the columns OF your valuable paper, OF the
accident which happened to "Bony Rountree.
train employe on the Central Railroad
From the nature and the fearful extent of
the wounds received by "Bony'' In this ecc;
dent, and his marvellous recovery from them
we think brief description Of the case NAV he
interesting to some Of your thouaands of
ItesaueIs, 1tsa certainty SO to his many friends in
TINS section and elsewhere. On the day after
the accident, as mentioned by you, |Bony"
was brought to his brothers, Mr. Green RoIin-
tree. IN an unconscious condition, and no one
VINO tneh saw him had, suppose, the least
hope OF his recovery. DIR. r. g. Merton was
called to see him, and on examination he found
the skull fractured on top, the fracture ex.
tending across the head and near what Is com
monty called the mole or mould of the
head" and six inches in length. The
front portion OF the head, or frontal
90, 9one, was crushed down and backward under
on the BRAIN There were other wounds of
minor character, but the fracture of the skull
was the most serious, and seemed enough to
would have killed "Bony." had he not been re-
lieved. And to relieve him was q dangerous
ana delicate operation, IL he could Be re-
viii make the boldest and most exna9
renced surgeon hesitate, for in slleh Gases
the patient not unfrequently 6ies under the
operaIon- NOW should this occur This thought |
Is enough to make the boldest operator trem-
0lel Life is hanging on thread at best. and |
that thread the skill Of the surgeon and woe 10
MIN who undertakes and fails. But a drown |
ing man Will catch at a straw" so to catch at |
this straw is the only hope to save s'Bonv's''
llre. 10 have him remain as he was death was
inevitable, and that In short time Luckily
L9r T9 bonS tne right man had been called to see
nlm, one who did possess the nerve and skill
to perform this fearful operation. Trephinino
was the only hope for relief, and difficult ana
hazardous as it was it had to be done To re-
Iuse, death was certain; to proceed, life natahf
be saved, though it was suspended on thread
The operation was performed, and q dificuIt |
one it proved to be: The trephining instru. |
ments were used. and We are informed BY an |
eyewitness that when the operation had pro
ceeded to that point when the surrounding
parts were ready for the shattered and de
pressed portion Of the skull to be raised to ifs
proper place, it required three separate efforts
with all the muscular force the doctor couId /
bring 10 bear on it, before L. could be made /
to remain in its natural position There were /
pieces OF fractured bone taken from the brain /
itself; but still "Bony" lived and lived through
the operation, and has so far recovered that /
ne ls able 70 visit his friends In the neighbor-
mood. and the fHghtful wound across the top /
OF MS head has almost entirely healed, sup |
pHratlng now, We are told, only at one point I
EoP three weeks "Bony" did not speak /
1ntelltgtbly, but his speech with other faculties
or powers, have gradually returned to almost |
their normal condition. He Is still affected bv
any sudden, or continued loud sound, when /
near, as It produces pain in the head His mem
ory IS stl impaired. and to write or spell trou-
bles him Eozs. For some time after he had /
sur.1ciensly recovered so as 10 walk he had no /
recollection OF what bad happened TO him, or 1
how it had occurred, but now these things are |
remembered by him. Why he has less power /
TO spell and write than to perform any |
other mental work Is a question we /
cannot selve, but viii leave to the scien- |
ti1c "Bony's" CAGE would certainly be i
an interesting ona to the phrenologist as ft Is L
certainly remarkable one, from the charac
ter and extent OF the wounds, as well as the /
d1ftcult surgical operation performed and the /
rapid recovery from so terrible an ordeal The Il
medical profession at large should take notice i
or the case, and its treatnaent, and accord to Il
merit its just reward, il even it exists in a /
cracker Doctor" This case and many others |
that ". Norton has successfully operated on
II known to our city physicians, would cause 4
them to 'look TO their laurels."
A serious difficulty occurred tn this county a /
few days since between sObie' Edwards and a /
Mr.. McCaskil. . ''turpentine" man from North /
Carolina, 10 which fists and knives were pretty /
freely used, Mr.; Edwards getting father the
worst OF the combat A warrant has been issued
for McCaskil, but no arrest has been made up to
this time. He is represented as q very deter
mined man. and there viii probably be trouble /
in his arrest.
We cannot close, Mr. Editor, though we have
''Jotted" much more than we intended at the
outset, without mentioning the satisfaction /
with which the appointment OF Judge Tomp- |
kins is received in shis part of the circuit Nor /
can we pioSs without heartily indorsing the |
beautiful and appropriate notice which you Il
published OF the retirement OF the venerable 1
and noble ''old Roman" Judge William B /
Fleming. We especially tOin you Ia the hone