River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-11-07
CLUBBING BY POLICEMEN.
Usually 1t Produces a Mere Confusion
Inniclincr M Scrlnus Ininrr

Usually 1t Produces Mere Confusion
Innicting No Serious Injury.
The scene of serious riot just after
the mob has been dispersed by the po-
lice is apt to suggest the idea of u gem
eral massacre. says Captain John Gun
ner, of the New York police in Medical
Classics. Blood is spattered right and
left and men are lying about apparent
ly lifeless or staggering away support
ed by friends. 1t is hard to realize
under the circumstances that in all
probability no one has been killed or
even seriously hurt, but that most of
those who have been 'laid out" will
be walking about next morning and
detailing their experiences.
Generally no permanent injury is
done to any one, though the drug
stores in the vicinity may run short of
sticking-plaster and the surgeons in
the neighboring statiOn-houses fire.
quently are obliged to send out for
more lint. Still there are generally II
number Of cases bad enough TO be sent
to the hospitals.
The blow Of policoman's club usu-
ally produces a mere confusion, cspe-
cially when applied, as it generally is,
to the body. In fact, for the purpose
OF disabling an opponent blow in the
ribs is one Of the most ctiicacious. 1t
gives the recipient sense of gone
ness" in his inside that takes up his
entire attention for few minutes TO
the exclusion Of all desire to inhict
bodily harm on the myrmidons of the
law. Even after he RECEIVERS his breath
he is more inclined to use it in dc.
nouncing police brutality than to make
any further personal experiments in
that direction.
II the blow falls on the head cons
fused wound may be rroduced. This,
if severe. is sometimes accompanied
by quite copious hemorrhagc. giving
the wound a CHASTITY and sickening
aspect Sometimes, if the stroke is
given with great force, the wound may
be not only confused. but also lacerat-
ed. This is about as much damage as
the locust, or even the ebony or rose
wood. is capable Of INJECTING; still
when the weapon is swung with the
full force of a powerful man excited
by hand-to-hand lighting or desperate
~ defending himself against several
armed assailants, a skull is sometimes
fractured. A case of this kind is az
times peculiarly dangerous, rs the fol-
lowing incident will show:
A man was brought TO the station
house apparently with nothing worse
under his hat than ''hrick. There
was no external appearance OF any
wound He was partially uncOn-
scious. but revived sufficiently TO give
his name and address, aud was put in
a cell. In the morning he was taken
to court, paid his fine, and was re-
leased, lie wac about the streets for
several days. but finally was obliged
to take to his bed and send for a ply
sican on account OF trouble with his
head. A close examination then, for
the first time, revealed the fact that
his skull was fractured. In spite of
the doctors efforts the man died.
That is, Of course, very unusual
case. but it shows how great should be
the care of the surgeon in examining
what may seem 20 be slight wound
or no wound whatever, provided he
knows that blow has been struck. In
the above case the fracture was not felt
until Inflammation had set in around
it and exudation had caused a pressure
on the brain. This docs not generally
occur until twenty-four hours have
elapsed and, as in the above case, it
may not be felt for forty-eight hours
or more. 1t is dangerous to neglect
even ordinary confused wounds, erysip-
elias being liable to set in.