St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-19
NOT INSANE.
Physicians Decide That McCulIough b
Died from Biood-P Oisoning.

PHILADELPHIA, NoY. 1s.-The receiv-
ing vault in Monument cemetery was the
scene this morning of the autopsy on the
body of the dead tragedian, John McCul-
Tough, held at the request Of the family in
order to definitely fix the cause of his death.
Dr.. EngeFs theory that death was caused
by disease known as thrombosis, which is
a gathering of thrombus or clot of blood, in
one of the arteries, thus blocking the cir
culation of the blood through it. This DR..
Engel believed was the cause of McCul-
Iough's death and always contended that
the formation of one OF these thrombi in
the brain was the primary cause OF the
trouble So confident was he of this fact
that he asserted if he could carry McCul-
l0ugh through thirty days without the for
nation of second thrombus he could
eventually be cured. Two weeks elapsed
when the second formed and death ensued.
The physicians at Bloomingdale hospital
claimed insanity from general causes, not
special. Among the physicians present
were DR.. Engel, who performed the autopsy,
DIS. Roessel, who assisted, Charles K. Mills.
DR.. Walter E. Bebby, the family physician,
Prof. Frank Woodbury., Jr., DR.. J. N.
Barton, surgeon general of jefferson medi
cal college, DR.. Theodore Greed. DR.. J. H.
Lloyd. DR.. Suddeth, DR.. W. r. Blackwood,
neurologist of the Presbyterian hospital.
DR.. A. l. Hummel of the Medical Bulletin,
DR.. B. F. Hardy. surgeon in charge of Ma
ternity hospital, San Francisco, and Dr..
E. P. Bernardy. 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 a most
excellent state Of preservation, not the
least sign of decay visible, and unchanged
from the condition when placed in the
vault last Thursday. At II o'clock, Dr..
Engel commenced the operation by making
a semicircular inciSion behind the right ear
Then cutting in a semicircle he 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 a close eXami-
nation by all the medical men present.
Immediately afterwards the medical gen.
tlenen whose names are printed above
held private meeting and agreed to the
following statement:
The physicians assembled find it was dis
ease of a vessel of the brain, due to blood
poison, and that the basilar artery and middle
cerebral arteries were the ones mainly af-
fected, and the pia mater was Opaque over the
large part of the convexity of the brain, and
adhereut especially in the front parietal re-
gion near the brocas convolution and issure
of the rolonde. In various places, in an at
tempt to strip the pia mater. twas found that
small fragments of cortcal tissue came away
with the membrane. Neither tumor nor ab-
scess was discovered. Considering the length
of time which has elapsed since the death of
Mccullough the body is in excellent preserva-
ton.
The result of the autopsy fully corrobor-
ated the diagnosis of DR.. Engel. Among
the persons present were James McCul-
Tough, son of the deceased, and a young
lady apparently unknown to any one pres
ent who stood at respectful distance from
the vault. silently and alone, until tine vault
closed. and all had departed. when she too
took her leave.