The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-19
ruE DEAD rnAGEpIAN.
An Autopsy on Mccullough Held, corrobUr
nting Or, EnEsIs DlaEpOsis.

|
nting Or, Engsrs Diagnosis.
PHILApEIpHIA, PA, Nov, ls.-The re-
ceIving vault Of Monument Cemetery
was the scene this morning Of an autopsy
OF the body OF the dead tragedian John
Mccullough, held at the request OF the
family in order to definitely fix the cause
Of death and to substantiate or disprove
DR.. Engel's theory OF death, it being differ
ept from that held by the physicians Of
Bloomingdale hospital. Dr. Eugel's theory
was that death was caused by disease
known as thrombis, which is gathering
OF thrombis or clot Of blood in
one OF the arteries thus blocking
the circulation OF blood through it.
This, DR.. EngeI believed, caused death,
always Contending that the formation of
one OF these thrombiS in the brain was the
primary cause OF trouble. So confident
was he OF this fact that he asserted II he
could carry Mccullough through thirty
days without the formation OF . second
thrombis he could eventually be cured:
Two weeks elapsed when the second
formed and death ensued.
The phys clans at Bloomingdale hospital
claimed insanity from general causes, moi
special, Among the physicians present
were DR.. EuRel, who performed the au-
topsy, Dr., A. Z. Rossell, who assisted,
Charles K. Mills, Dr.. Walter E. B;bby,
the family physician, Prof. Frank Wood.
bury, Jr., DR.. J. NJ. Barton, Surgeon Cen
erHl OF Jefferson Medical College; DR..
Theodore Cruel, DR.. ]. H Lloyd, DR.. Sud.
deth, DR.. W. r D. Blackwood, DR.. A. |.
aummeI, Of the Medical Btlittin; DR.. B.
F. Hardy, Surgeon In charge Of Maternity
hospital, San Francisco, Gal.
The body was moved from the casket
shortly after 10 o'clock, and placed on the
operating table in the vault ready for the
autopsy. The body was found in u most
excellent state OF preservation, not the
least sign Of decay being visible, and un-
changed since placed in the vault on last
Thursday. Atll o'clock DR.. Engel COM
menced the operation by making semi
circular incision behind the right ear, then
cutting in semi.circles removed the scalp,
sawed the skull through above the eyes,
and after severing the spinal cord and
optic nerves removed the brain from the
skull and subjected it to the close exami-
nation OF all the medical men present.
Immediately afterward the medical gen.
tlemen whose names are printed above
held private meeting and agreed to the
following statement:
"rhe physicians assembled find 1t was
disease OF the blood vessels OF the brain,
due to blood poison, and that the bssilary
artery and middle cerebral arteries were
the ones mainly affected; that the piama.
ter was Opaque over Large part Of the
convexity OF the brain and adherent es.
pecially Ia the front parietal r'gion near
the br5cas couvolution and 6ssure OF the
rolondo. In various places in an attempt
TO strip the piameter 1t was found that
small fragments ol cohical tissue came
away with the membrane. Neither tumor
nor abscess was discovered. Considering
the length OF timr which elapsed sinc9
the death OF Mr.. Mccullough the body is
in an excellent state OF preservation"
The result OF the autopsy fully corrobo-
rates the diagnosis OF DE-. Engel. Among
the persons present were James McCul-
loush, son OF the DECEASED and young
lady, apparently unknown to any one
present, who stood al respectful dis
lance from the vault silently and alone
until the vault closed and all had departed,
when she took her leave.