The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-23
OPENS HIS EYES.
CONDITION OF &. N. ERICH YES
TRRDAY AND LAST NIGHT.
Interesting Case-some Inter.
esting Statistics.

Late last evening an APPEAL re.
porter called at the Office of DR.. Alex
ander EIskine, who has charge of the
case of Mr.. G. N. Erich, and who has
been the family physician ever since
his marriage. DR.. Erekine said it was
his opinion that his patient would die
within the next forty-eiGht hours.
His temperature, which was reduced
by the application Of cold cloths to
101 yesterday morning, had risen to
104 at 6 o'clock, the cloth having been
removed in the meantime. His res
piration was forty.eight, and there
were various untavorable symptoms,
unfavorable in spite OF the fact that he
moved one OF his arms at one time,
and on several occasions opened his
eyes and looked about the room as if
searching for come one.
1.-THE bullet did not pierce his brain
directly thrC ugh the center as has
been supposed" said DIR. Erskine, "but
ranged a little to the left. The muzsle
Of the pistol was placed directly upon
his forehead and pressed hard, proba-
bly, by the right hand. His entire right
side is paralyzed as a natural conse.
quence o injury to the left side OF the
brain. Whether paralysis followed
Immediately upon the firing Of the
shot / am unable to say, but had the
pistol dropped from his hand to the
bed, instantly, still it might have been
thrown upon the floor by his strug'
gles."
DR.. Erskine said he had been doing
all in his power to sustain the patient
and had succeeded in feeding hin
about half pint of milk and an
equal quantity of tea, though he swal
lowed with extreme difficulty. The
wound was disposed to bleed little
yesterday.
INJURIES OF THE BRAIN.
During the course Of his remarks
DIR. Erskine referred to volume 2, In
ternationalE Encyclopedia of Surgery, which
under the head OF "PIognosis, Gays
The prognosis OF these injuries (those
Of the scalp and BRAIN though much
affected by the nature OF the wound
is always grave. The danger is chiefly
due to merengo-encephalitis, which
may be developed at an early period
or as is more usual after number o.
days, in the latter part OF the Sc cond
week, and is ordinarily, though moi
necessarily, associated with an oper
wound when Judgment OF foreign
substance has occurred and the for
eign body remains. 1t may prove the
developing cause Of brain suppuratior
even years after apparent recovery hat
taken place. In the Crimean war "a
per cent. Of crsnial injuries proved
fatal (711 out Of 96l), and during oul
late war the mortality rate was So.
per cent. 1914 out OF 4243 cases, the
results Of which were ascertained). II
is generally held with Guthrie that 6
wound Of the anterior part Of the
head is more likely to cause
death than one Of the posterior. This
is by no means certain. In the 3lt
cases of penetration and lodgment
analysed by H. r. Wharton, in which
279 were gunshot injuries, the relative
mortality Of wounds through the
frontal, parie;al and occipital bones
was respectively, A per cent. (5S out
Of 1922, 46.5 per cent. (27 out OF 5S)
and 20 per cent. (l6 out OF 23), while
the death rate OF those OF the tempora
bone was but 1871 per cent. az out o.
BY probably because the majority oil
these do not come under treatment
On the other hand, no damage othel
than that which is local and temporary
may be produced and ball and ever
bone may remain for years in thu
brain without doing any harm. Suct
cases are, however, but the fortunate
exception proving the rule, and many
times it has happened that after |
long period Of apparent perfect hesltl
death has resulted from the presenat
Of the foreign body.
AT MIDNIGHT.
At midnight last night Mr.. Erich
condition was not materially changed
His pnlte was 100, respiration forty
four, temperature l04. Mr.. Sig. Roe
scher, who was among the watchers b!
his bedside, told the APPEAL reporte
that early in the night he had Spoken
to Mr.. Erich in German and the latte
opened his eyes and seemed to recog
nize him but did not speak, and al
most Immediately reclosed his eye
and relapsed into inconsistencies.
was not thought likely last night tina
Mr.. Erich will die within the mex
twenty-four hours unless new symp
toms OF an unfavorable character de
velop themselves.
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