New-York tribune., 1884-10-05
RErrSLNG 10 BE rREPHINED.

A STUBBORN PATIENT WILL NOT SUBMIT To Az
OPERATION AND GIFTS WELL N SPITE or THE
DOCTORS
Charles Griffin age twenty-five. on August II.
while Gagged in a fight IN a grog-shop IN
West ST. was struck violent blow Oh the hcad
with a large pitcher. lie fell TO the hoor uncon-
scious. an ambulance was summoned. and II" was
taken go the Chambers Street Hospital IN eN-
animal on revealed a depressed fracture on the left
sdc Of the skull near the top about where the HAIR
ceases The skin was badly bruised and the inner
table of the skull was driven deeply into the brain
The right side of the body entirely paralyzcd.
the pulse hard the skin dry and hot. Gnd the pupils
dilatcd The man was IN deep stupor. and all
eymptoms pointed 10 speed, death Violent con-
,usions set in and II dccldcd ~ the house sur
gcon Ia tr,phinc the skull The patient wnH laid on
the operating table. nnd M hc wa unconscious no
nuwHthotic wac administered
An inciaion about thiro iuthoa long was mndo Ia
the scalp. directly over tho broken bone, aud Two
lapa wclc lifted up from the .slull, The outer
Table Was found to be- badly Apnirfcd, aud all
loose fragments were removed with honr iorcoph.
The tiephino was applied to a sound soclinh ol
bone, aud the surgeon began 10 bore, llo had
hardly made an Impression on the bone when the
latient suddenly opened his eyes and cast quick
glance around the room. Tie raised his head, ami
seeing a of surgical instruments ana basin oi
bloody water table ncar by, exclaimed IN n
mGIlled tone: Holy Moses What are youse fellers
NJ TO anyhow : Let me up, Will yer. fye don
I'll set the gang on yesc" He fell back on the table
exhausted, but did not become unconscious. The
operating surgeon aud those present were astounded
AT Griffin's action. The depressed bone had not
been elevated the pressure Oh the brain re-
moved and his return to CONSCIOUSNESS could not be
explained.
Griffin remained quiet for a few moments with
clos ID eyes as if sleeping and then made spring
for the floor. But his paralysis held him fast. This
made hun angry, and he shouted in a loud tone.
Take me out. What am doing here III! Billy -
The surgeon endeayOred to quiet him by gentle
means and told hun that he had been badly injured
III the head and that operation was necessary to
save his LIE. "Ah. Ha! That's yeI game, Is II
Now see here Doe. yer bet yer sweet life that
Yer ain't a-goin' 10 do no more slashn' around me-
Yuv done me up in bad shape now, and say nix"
Arguments were of no avail because OF his stub
boruness. " | don't blank" he SAID. Tor my
nie. Pm agoin' to die wid my boots on. On A
might influence him. When he came Grilns
features lighted up with respect. The priest went
the side OF the table ana taking hoid oI Urulh
Now, Charles, YOU want to get well, don't you p
"lIs, SIR
life and YOU must submit TO whatever the doctors
do without qucs on. Your condition Is critical
a.Uuu
you Will surely die. Now Will you take ether and
submit to IT.
viii not, yer riVercnce.'
We'll. then you'll have 10 die
Will not. yer riyercnce, unless these tellers git
them chlsels into me skull
Nou had better let them 90 ahead. -
DV fear for me, yer rlveTence III De
walkIn about III IA week time.
lie had his way. An operation cannot Toe per-
formed or an an.esthetIc gwen. without patients
consent a hospital. 1t was hoped that the stupor
would return and that the operation could then be
I.ftftT 4 lOf
was left 10 die. He rapidly grew worse ana un-
favorable symptoms set IN but the lnd0mltablc
WI remained. Tie lay for number OF days AT
deaths door but watched the movements 0l al Wh"
came near hlm. When asked II he would not con
sent TO an operation he invariably replied: Ut
out wild yer NONSENSE Tie fingered along from
day to daV and smiled at the disappointed faces OF
the doctors who came III every morning To look al
the corpse. e., -,
to HIM hin ye tell me the use oi II = ne replied
One week from the time hc entered hc showed M
provcnent and the paraiyzed slue was hluch better
but the depressed bone bearing upoh thc pIdlh re-
mained the same. Contrary to medical experience
and vellesta lsled surgical laws, ne continued 10
Improve rapidly, and at tne end 0i three weeks sat
up III char and walked unsupported about the
ward. His appetite was remarkably good after the
first week and the amount Of food ne was able 10
eat would astoniNh one iis wound M hfIied @ WIN ,Ii
wonderful qdIckuess over the depressed bone ana
AZ the end OF four weeks he was discharged cured.
This case presents tine remarkable features 81 a
person recovering from paralysis and returning %
consciousness while the cause that produced these
cona itions remained unaltered, and uai recovery
wit hout permanent bal symptoms from q depressed
fracture OF the inner table of tnc skull without sur
eca, aid. Griilns intellect or disposition was not
uOticeaby affected after recovery, and ms friends
say that he appears 10 be brighter, better-haured
and little more stubborn than before phE-
slciau SAID to him : he leaving the hospital
d" ! never expected to see you 20 ont THIS way
Griffin. ,., 8,
he smillngiy replied.