Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-15
LIFE AND DEATH.
Marvellous Cases OF Recovery from Sup
posed Mortal W0unds-What will
Kill a Man.
An Extraordinary Case Whose Mishaps
Embraced Yellow-FeVer and Pts
tOl-ShOt Wounds.

The New York Herald, in an article on
Life and DEATH" says one who is accus-
toned 10 seeing the enormous strains and
shocks the human frame withstands is often
surprised at seeing how little thing will
loose the silver cord" Not to speak of the
swift and fatal maladies that are often
brought about by seemingly absurd trihes,
such as a little too much ice-water when one
is overheated, or the swallowing Of some iu-
digestible morsel, the accidents that cause
death are often trivial in all but the result.
man steps upon a bit of orange peel, or his
friend sportiveiy pulls away his chair, with
the idiotic idea that be is joking, and the
victim sits down too far, fractures his spine
and Is picked up dead. A strong man
scratches his finger, and dies of lockjaw. A
large man, bending sideways in his chair,
trying TO button his shoes, loses his balance,
rolls over on a carpeted chair and breaks
his arm. Gangrene sets in and he dies. Such
cases are on record, and go to show how
slight the real hold on life is. Yet slight as
is the tenure by which men stay in this
world, there are innumersble cases on record
far more marvellous than that of William
Scheever, even supposing that he has bull
let, or even two, in his brain. The ineyita-
BILE death that was formerly supposed to at
organs of the body does not always come, and
men live not only with bullets in their brain,
holes in their stomach, dislocated spines and
actual wounds in the heart itself, but even
with open wounds clear through the body
itself. Gen. Henry A. Barnum, of Brooklyn,
wrote, while President Garfield lay dying,
letter to the press in which he told of his
own wound, which he received in battle DUR
ing the civil war. Ii remained an open aper-
lure through his body and has never healed,
and fer years his treatment of il has been
simply 10 wear in the hole roll of prepared
lint. This is renewed daily, and the suppu-
ration of the wound is constant, sometimes
greater and sometimes less, but never entire
ly ceasing. Gen. Shields, of Missouri, had
similar wound extending through his
body and open in front and be-
ceived in the Mexican war, and he wore,
not lint, but a silk handkerchief in it. This
he could draw directly through his body.
Some three OF four years ago a boy in Pat
erson, N. J., picking up shavipgs in a car
penter's shop fell backward against buzz
saw that was revolving with immense rapid
ity. Recovering his equilibrium he walked
unaided 10 drag store near by and asked
TO have his wound dressed. He complained
of having terrible headache, and this was
not doubted when it was found on examina-
lion that the saw had divided his head al
most in two. One end of the cut was half
way between the forehead and the crown of
the head, and the other end was just at the
base of the skull. A right line from one
end to the other would have passed almost
through the middle of the head, but the saw
was a small one and its outside edge had be-
You'd question cut far beyond such right
line. Yet the boy lived several days and
retained his consciousness to the time of his
death. 1t was supposed that the saw had
passed between the two lobes OF the brain,
but that point was never settled positively,
as the boys father refused to allow
pOst-mortem examination. In reporting
this case the writer learned of two |
men, both living in Paterson at the time, |
each of whom had carried a bullet in his |
brain for a number of years. One of them |
had been shot in the eye, and the physician |
who attended him declared that the bullet |
was beyond a doubt lodged against the skull /
at the back of the head. Both these men
enjoyed good health. A fracture of the skull |
is generally supposed to be fatal injury,
and generally proves SO, yet there are not
lacking cases where death has not ensued, at |
least for a long time. In the Gutermuth
case it will be remembered that the victims
skull was badly fractured, yet he WAS sup
posed to be recovering week after the iu-
jury was received, and was well enough 10
walk out and pay visits-or at least cup
cited of similar nature if it were desirable
10 make n catalogue.
There are cases on reeord-there were
many OF them during the war of the rebel
ion-in which men were repeatedly hurt 30
hat death seemed inevitable. No sooner
would they recover from one apparently
Mortal wound than they would receive |
another. The Hartford Times not long ago
published story that was widely copied of
| man whose history was told by himself to
correspondent in Michigan, and whose per-
onal appearance bore out his story so the
said. He claimed that his
roubles began when he was only five years
I'D, when he fell through the roof Of shed,
breaking all his ribs, both collar bones, his
,reast- bone, his right arm in two places, his
eft arm above the elbow and the bones of his
eft hand. 1t was thought that he could not
ecover, but he did. Ten years later his hip
vas dislocated twice in the same year, and
lis right ankle was broken, In 1856 he was
hot in the ankle in fight ON Mississippi
teamboat. During this time he had had
Asiatic cholera, yellow-fever, and, in Central
tayed with him four months and "peeled
Tim like a snake.n II was not until the war
'roke out, however, that this remark able
nan had full play for his talents. Joining
he army he was bayoneted ia the left knee
q the battle of gainesville aud captured by {
Ne NOuieueIhtes. OurInS DIS I'M prleOnment
Il three months he was sunstruck and after
Yard nearly starved to death, and was only {
'aroled when his captors supposed him to be
1ithout the ability to do further service. In {
long march the veins IN his left leg burst,
nd he almost died OF hemorrhage At
he was knocked down by a |
pent caunon-ball, aud while lying PROSTATE
Tss Iun over by field piece of six-rauud
aliber, which passed directly over his mead I
nd body. After recovering again and get I
ing his discharge he undertook one day to t
ut down tree, but by a not uncommon ac- e
ident the butt OF the Tree few up as the tree +
III, and this man standing 10 the way, as
as to have been expected OF mao of his
abiis, was knocked distance, he saws, of
'rty fest. He lay on the snow insensibe
n eight hours, and on getting his 7
'nses again found that his skull was
roken and his brains were leaking out, and J
lat eight of his teeth were gone. In three 7
onths he was entirely well-that is, all
lat was left was well, but in handling some '
lasting powder he managed to ignite it aud
le loss of one eye was the consequence I
hese were the principal accidents this man
lated, but he said he had had many minor
les. In spite of all he had been through, v
; was well and claimed to be ready to fight
~ man of his age and weight.