The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-06-10
REMARKABLE SURGERY.
Bruno Knorr's Wonderful Case
Explained Before New York
Medical Men-Trephining
of the Skull.
New York Herald.

Gay presented 10 large gathering vi
medical gentleman, among whom
were Professors Lewis A. Sayre, A.
Post and Charles Mittendorf. Doc.
tors Anderson, Putnam. jacob and
Others, the most remarkable case of
successful surgical operation of the
brain that ever came under the OBJ
servation of surgeon. and which
still remains unexplained from the
fact that the patient recovered and is
at present enjoying the best of health.
The case has no parallel in the annals
Of medical literature, and until 1t
presented itself the most eclectic sur
eeon would have doubted the pOssibil-
ity of introducing the knife into the
brain without fatal results.
The patient, Bruno Knorr, who
Yesterday sat in the smphitheater of
the hospital in the center of a group
of intensely interested physicians, who
carefully examined his head, which
was q mass of scars, showing where
the bone was cut out, has a remark
able history. He is well-formed
young man, and We're it not for his
much-chopped-up forehead would be
quite good looking. He appears to
be of very affectionate disposition,
which is the cause of his strange
wound. On the evening of January
% last he visited his sweetheart and
asked her to marry him, but she de-
clined; he pressed his suit, but was
fatty refused. upon which he pulled
out a revolver and fired bullet into
his brain. The ball entered the fore
head, about a halt inch above the
eyes, directly in the center. He fell
to the ground with blood gushing pro-
fusely from the wound. He was sup
posed to be dead, but nevertheless
he was removed to Bellevue hospital.
Upon arriving at that place the un-
ior surgeons were surprised to find
that he was still alive. Through the
night thew sat by his bedside, intent
upon making observations as to how
long he could really live, applying
only such simple remedies as would
ease the last moments of a dying man.
But thew miscalculated, for in the
morning they found him still alive,
although unconscious. Afraid to do
anything upon their own responsible
ty, they telegraphed to the visiting
surgeon at daybreak, and he came at
once in response to the summons,
hardly supposing that he could do
anything for the patient. From GER
tain peculiar surroundings, however,
he was led to undertake most hazar-
dous operation, which be described
to his listeners yesterday while stand
ing at the side of the man whose life
he had saved.
Finding the pulsations of the patient
growing weaker and life slowly ebbing,
he took the most desperate chances
and resolved to operate at once. Feel
ing assured the brain was wounded,
from the small particles of its SUBJ
stance that oozed through the hole
made by the bullet, he boldly set to
work, and, thinking that he could no
more than apply the last measures, be
dissected off the flesh around the
wound clean to the bone, holding
back the flaps with pins, and then cut
out disc of the skull, about the size
of dime, with trepbine above the
bullet hole, joining the two by cbisel-
ING away the bridge Intervening. On
attempting to remove the particles OF
bone which bad been driven upon the
brain matter by the bullet in its pass
age and had set up a dangerous con-
dition by :neir pressure. be met with
profuse. hemorrhage from one OF
the large arteries, which was cut
across its GATED edges scarcely to be
seen. Two attempts to catch 1t up
proved futile, and realizing that death
from the loss of blood under the cir.
cumstances was a matter of moments,
be introduced bis finger into the
wound and pressed the artery against
the hone, and for time became mas
ter of the situation. The exertion
tired him soon, aud be instructed his
assistant to relieve him while he again
attempted to catch the end. After
five trials he was successful, and
placed ligature of catgut around it
The little vessel, however, was tricky
and the ligature slipped of, leaving
matters worse than before. Again ht
tried it, and at last overcome the
obstacle by tying it tightly. Next b,
introduced large bullet-shapet
probe, which descended by its owl
weight about five inches into the brain
when he stopped short and held it il
place. Carefully studying the angl
In which it entered, he marked {
poinr at the back of the head wher