St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-03-08
A MAN WITH A BROKEN NECK
VINO Confounds the nnctnrs

wife. Both his legs we're crooked and
twisted in several different ways his
right arm hung limp and listless by
his side, while his head was bandaged
in leather straps which, winding under
his chin, were fastened above the head
to a curved piece of steel which pro-
truded from under his coat collar be-
hind. AS he walked, his head swung
loosely, as if the neck was connected
only for "a moment and was of no
earthly use to the owner. This was
Jerry Baldwin of Birmingham, Ala,
whose case is one of the most remark
able in the history of medical science,
and puts to the winds hundreds of sur
gical theories which had been laid
down as absolutely unalterable. His
is the first case on record where man
has survived IL broken neck, and al
though his existence is made somewhat
unpleasant thereby, yet he bids fair to
live to good old age, even though
the broken neck is coupled with two
broken legs, five broken ribs and a
broken arm, and, as Mr.. Baldwin ex-
presses it, a broken record. The eX-
periences of this remarkable man read
like a story of fiction. He is won
derful example of the amount of mutt
lation the human body can withstand
and still preserve life. The New York
Star interviewed this human wreck.
Mr.. Baldwin is 35 years old, and was
born in New York. He became yard
master of the Louisville and Nashville
railroad at Birmingham, and at Ais a.
M, March 10, 1887, he was standing in
caboose in the yard when a runaway
engine came laundering down the
track, and striking the car in which
Baldwin was standing, knocked him
on the track, and the engine and six
cars ran over him, breaking his right
| log in two places and his left leg just
below the thigh, five ribs, three on the
right side and two on the left, beside
swapping in twain the sixth cervical
vertabra of the neck and splintering
the Joint between the sixth and seventh
vertabr8. Every stitch of the mans
clothes was torn from his body, and a
large hole was made in his right side.
In this condition he was found and
taken to his home. 1t was thought
that he could live only IL few minutes,
but, after hours of waiting, he was
found to be still breathing. A consul
tatiOn was held by Drs. James B.
Guckie, Copeland and Barclay, and
steps were taken to experiment, with
a view of performing a feat never be-
fore thought possible, saving n mans
life after his neck was broken. They
were finally successful.
The injured man was unconscious
for SO hours, and after being incased
wholly in plaster of paris was put up
on water mattress Ga rubber bag fill
ed with water.) On this he laid for
more than four months. He was then
put to bed, where he laid two months
longer He was totally blind for IA
days after the accident, and has yet
hardly regained the full use of his eye
sight. At the end of six months dur
ing which time the patient was in IL
comatOse condition. he began to show
symptoms of recovery. The entire
medical world had been exercised over
the case, and many eminent medical
men visited the patient. He was final
ly taken from the plaster of paris cast,
and his neck being totally useless his
head was swung in the leather mask
which he now wears. His body is in
cased in a corset, the back of which is
solid steel, reaching from the hips to
the back of the neck, where Il flexible
bar of metal is riveted. This bar
curves above the head, and to it the
mask is attached. The front of the
corset is of Irish linen and rubber, and
it is tightly laced. The weight of the
head is thus borne by the hips. The
corset was designed by DR.. A. j. Bax-
ter of Chicago. The mask is the de-
sign of DR.. Sayres of New York. Bald
win is cheerful to il remarkable degree,
although the physical pain he still en-
dures is very great.
Such are his injuries that he must he
always moving, absolute rest being
quickly followed by Inconsistencies.
He can never lie down, rs pressure on
the spinal column causes relapse into
IL trance lasting for hours, during which
time the victim is painfully conscious
of surrounding objects and incidents,
but is physically dead. The only
sleep he gets is in little cat-naps
caught while sitting in a chair. Mr..
Baldwin amuses himself playing with
diminutiye Scotch terrier through
the hours of the night. This is his
only recreation. He is an inveterate
smoker, but never drank in his life,
and to this abstinence he ascribes his
strong constitution, which enabled him
to withstand the shock which no one
-
est annoyance is caused by the tight
ness of the corset which supports his
head and which has only been remOv
ed once since his injuries were receiv-
ed year ago, and that removal was
attended with such serious consequent
ces that the physicians will never per-
nit repetition. He says it Is almost
unbearable in a heated room.
Dol. Il l. fpnr, Co
Francisco to Bridgeport, Ct, where he
has relatives. He is always accOmpa-
MED by his wife, pleasant little
woman, to whose constant care and de-
votion the husband owes what comfort
he enjoys. They are just completing
tour for medical examination, en-
bracing New Orleans, Memphis, San
Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, st.
Paul, Detroit, Cincinnati and Cleve-
land. The most eminent physicians
have admitted that the case is unparal
leled in the history of the profession.
He was to have appeared at Bellevue
hospital before the students ut il lee
ture given by DR.. Sayres, but owing to
the physicians indispOsitiOn, the lecture
was postponed Saturday. Mr.. Bald
win is well off financially. He was
awarded $75,0O0 damages from the
railroad company, and as he has re-
ceived the proceeds of the medical lee
lures in the colleges i'll all the cities he
has visited, his yearly income is sup
posed to be from $4,000 to $50, 900.
He is the recipient of numerous offers
of museum managers in this country
and Europe, but SO far he has declined
all offers and says he prefers to aid in
the advance of science, and he expects