The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-03-24
our Olio.
WITH HIS NECK BROKEN.
Jerry Baldwin Has Lived over Year, but
Can Never Rest.

Can Never Rest.
From The Ne,c York Star, Monday, Feb. e7.
The attention of the night clerks at the
Murray Hill Hotel and of the well dressed
travellers about the corridors was attracted
at late hour Friday night by tall, good
looking man, accompanied by a stylish ap-
peariug lady who arrived on late Chicago
train. They were registered as Jerry Bald
win and wife, of Birmingham, Ala, and
were assigned rooms.
The man walked with the aid of large
cane, and was partially supported by his
wife. Both his legs were 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 protruded from under hi:
coat collar behind. As he walked, hii
head swung loosely as if the neck was con
nectedz only for moment and was of nj
earthly use to the owner.
This man, who, to all appearances, seemed
to have been run through threshing ma
chine or stood up for a target for John l.
Sullivan to practice upon, is the celebrated
Jerry Baldwin, whose case is the mos
remarkable in the history Of medica
science, and puts to the winds hundreds Of
surgical theories which had been laid down
as absolutely unalterable. His is the first
case on record where a man has survived Q
broken neck, and although his existence i,
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 broken
arm, and, as Mr. Baldwin expresses it, q
broken record The experiences of this
remarkable man read like story of fiction
He is wonderful example Of the amount
of mutilation the human body can with
stand and still preserve life. Mr.. Baldwin,
sitting in his room at the Murray Hill yes
terday afternoon, related some of his ex-
perience to Star reporter.
Jerry Z. Baldwin was born in this city
April 10, 1852 and was engaged in the
various railroad yards until he removed to
Birmingham, Ala, where he obtained a
position as yard-master in the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad yards. At 4:15 A. NJ,
Mar h 10, 1887, he was standing in ca
boose in the yards when runaway engine
came laundering down the track, and,
striking the car in which Baldwin was
standing, knocked him on the track, and
the er sine and six cars ran over him, break
ing h, ) right leg in two places and his left
leg Just below the thigh, five ribs, three on
the right side and two on the left, besides
swapping in twain the sixth cervical verte-
bra, and splintering the joint between the
sixth and seventh vertebra.
Every stitch of the mans clothes was torn
from his body, and 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 few min
utes, but, after hours of waiting, he was
found to be still breathing A consultation
was held by Drs. James b. Guckie, Cope
land and Barclay, and steps were taken to
experiment, with view of performing a
feat never before thought possible, i. e.,
saving mans life after his neck was brok-
en-. They were finally successful. The
injured man was unconscious for thirty-six
hours, and after being encased wholly in
plaster of paris, was put upon a water mat
tress-a rubber bag filled with water. On
this he laid more than four months. He
was then put to bed, where he lay 2 months
longer. He was totally blind for fourteen
days after the accident, and has yet hardly
regained the full use of his eyesight. At
the end # six months, during which time
the patient was in a 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 finally
taken from the plaster of paris cast, and
his neck being totally useless, his head was
swung in the leather mask called the jury
mask, which he now wears.
His body is encased in corset, the back
of which is solid steel, reaching from the
hips to the back of the neck, where flexi-
BILE bar of metal is riveted. This bar curves
above the head, and 70 it the mask is at
tached. 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. Baxter, of Chicago. The mask is
the design of DIR. Sayres, of Fifth avenue,
this city. Baldwin is cheerful to re-
markahle degree, although. the physical
pain he still endures is very great.
Such are his injuries that he must be
always moving, absolute rest being quickly
followed by Inconsistencies. He can
never lie down, as pressure on the spinal
column causes relapse into a trance, lasting
for hours, during which time the victim is
painfully conscious of surrounding objects
and incidents, but is physically dead. The
only sleep ho gets is in little cat maps
caught while sitting in chair.
Through the hours of the night Mr..
Baldwin amuses himself playing with a
diminutive Scotch terrier. This is his only
recreation. He is an inveterate smoker,
but never drank in his life, and to this ab-
stinence he ascribes his strong constitution,
which enabled him to Withstand the shock
which no one before him ever survived.
His greatest annoyance is caused by the
tightness of the corset which supports his
head, and which has only been removed
once since his injuries were received, a
year ago, and that removal was attended
with such serious consequences that the
physicians will never permit a repetition.
he says it is almost unbearable in heated
room.
Nr. Baldwin is on his way from San
Francisco to Bridgeport, Ct, where he has
relatives. He is always accompanied by
his wife, pleasant little woman, to whose
constant care and devotion the husband
owes what comfort he enjoys. They are
just completing tour for medical exami-
nation, embracing New Orleans, Memphis,
San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, st.
Paul, Detroit, Cincinnati and Cleveland.
The most eminent physicians have admitted
that the case is unparalleled in the history
of the profession. He was to have ap-
appeared at Bellevue Hospital yesterday
before the students at lecture given by
DIR. Sayre, but, owing to the physicians
indisposition, the lecture was postponed.