The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-01-10
A HUMAN BAROMETER.
An Old Soldiers Ability to Foreteu storns
Through an Injured Leg,

An Old Soldiers Ability to Foretell StorAs
Through an Injured Leg.
The surgeons of the jefferson college
hospital in this city. writes cores
pendent from Philadelphia. have been
very much interested recently in some-
what unusual case that has been in their
hands for treatment 1t is that of a
man who may be described as a human
barometer. So far however, from
boasting of his power to foretell changes
in the weather, the patient. whose name
is Frederick Guyer. went to the hospital
in hopes that the surgeons might cure
him of his malady. During the war
Guyer was Captain of Company ID,
Ninth New York Volunteers. Early in
the morning of the second days fight
in the Wilderness he was struck by a
Mimic rifle ball, which penetrated his
right leg three inches above the knee.
The engagement was so hot at the time
that his comrades could render him no
further attention than to place him
under a tree somewhat out of the direct
line OF fire, and there he remained for
thirty-six hours, when a change of front
by the Federal lines left him in Con-
federate territory, and he was taken
prisoner. The rebel surgeon into whose
hands he fell insisted upon amputating
his leg, and the operation was roughly
performed by candlelight, the limb being
taken off at the thigh.
six or seven days after that said
Captain Guyer to the Times cores
pendent this morning Il began to feel
severe pains in the stump, and have
never been wholly free from suffering
since. The sensation is apparently in
the foot. / have never felt any pain
that seemed to come from the thigh, or,
indeed, from anywhere above the ankle.
There is usually twitching sensation,
such as a man experiences in the cleo
trio bath, at the point where the great
toe joins the foot. Sometimes there is
similar feeling in the little toe; then,
again there is burning sensation
across all the toes. and occasionally
pain in the heel. Before my treatment
in the hospital l could always tell by the
increased severity Of the pain when we
were going to have a storm. 1t was es-
pecially severe just before north or a
northeast wind began to blow, but when
there was big storm coming my toes
would begin to ache three or four DAYS
in advance, and as the storm approached
the pain would become so intense as to
almost set me crazy. You remember
the big electric storm we had
three years ago, when the aurora
filled the sky at night, and all
the telegraph wires were disarranged.
| was living then in West Twenty
street, New York, and felt the storm
coming three days before it appeared. 1
suffered more at that time than on any
other occasion; The pain grew more
severe as the storm approached, seemed
to vary with its distance and its fuctu-
atoms. and reached climax Just before
it broke. Then the painful sensations
began to pass away, and in a few hours,
while the storm was still rag ing, / was
at ease again. / could always foretell
any change in the weather, either from
fair to stormy or from stormy to fair,
and could also tell its severity. A local
storm or one of light magnitude affect
ed me but slightly, while a general
storm was announced by its unpleasant
forerunners according to its magnitude;
and, similarly, l knew by the relief
from pain when clear weather was com
ing. Since leaving the hospital / have
been comparatively free from pain,
though still feel occasional twitches."
The operation performed on Captain
Guyer was as remarkable as his dis
ease. 1t consisted of the removal of a
number of large dubious formations
from the stumps of the nerves. Bulbs
about the size of the middle finger of
the average mans hand and nearly an
inch long were cut off from the greater
and lesser sciatic nerves, and smaller
formations were removed from other
nerves. In all six of these abnormal
growths were found and removed. The
patient was kept in the hospital four
weeks, and was discharged about two
weeks ago, though he still reports peri
odically for examination and treatment.
The wounds made by the scalpel are
healing nicely, and the doctors think
that when the inflammation subsidies no
more pain will be felt. The patient is
about forty-five years of age, of slender
build, and. aside from his peculiar
malady, is in good health. He has
never worn an artificial leg, but has al
ways used crutches. DIR. John II. Brin-
ton, the operating surgeon, is preparing
monograph on the case for publica-
ton in medical journal. N Y Times.