The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-14
A BAD MAN FROM soYHooD UP.
FOR Fure Deviltry He Blew Up a Soda
Foontain-Half His Head Went OF.
70.


From the Chicago Tribune.
NEW York, Dec. 5.-What is to be the
limit OF surgeryl Where is the place that
1ne injunction will be put upon the sur
geon, Thus far shalt thou go and no
iarther!" This is most difficult question
70 answer. Something new and astonish-
lpg IN the surgical line is being done every
gay, ana operations that were believed 10
Dc impossible a few years ago are fire.
quently performed with a large percent
age OF recoveries. Organic diseases of
nearly all the vital organs are attacked
Win frequent success, and from the
present indications it would seem that there
Is nothing that is impossible to a courage
GUS ana skilltul surgeon. Injuries to the
praln are usually looked upon as being very
dangerous to life. and il would be para
doxlcal to say that any one could be bene-
hted by severe injury to the head and
iaceration of the brain. There is a case,
however, having this peculiar characteristic
and the patient is now an inmate of the
Charity hospital. The patient is Charles
Mackey, aged %, and he was trans
Ierred from the penitentiary at
Blackwells Island to the hospitaI.
Mackey, though a young man, has
spent most OF his life in jail. He has COM
mltted about every crime in the calendar.
VIII the exception or murder, and in the
ponce register he is marked as a desperate
criminal, unsafe to be at large. 1t is only
good luck that has kept him from the gal
lows, as he has shot and stabbed several
people during alterations and the COM
mission OF robbery. He had a reckless dis
regard for human life, and there is no
chance that he would not take to secure
even small sum of money. He was
utterly devoid of principle, and was never
known to do manly or good thing. Every
word he spoke was accompanied by
an oath, and he was q total stranger to
truth. The expression on his face was
brutal, and indicated low cunning, and
when enraged he became maniacal, His
prison record was bad, and he boosted that
he never got day off from his term for
| good behavior. he was under discipline
most OF the time IN Jail, but no amount of
punishment and torture could tame HIM or
make him submit to rules. He would as
sault keeper whenever irritated, and the
result was that he was nearly beaten to
death on several occasions. He was incor-
rigible.
During one of his brief respites from
prison he worked in soda water factory.
A spirit of malicious mischief cropped out.
An idea struck him that a little explosion
would make sensation. He connected a
press pump with glass fountain, and in a
few moments the explosion came 1t was
| greater than Mackey bargained for, aud
when he came to his senses he was in hos
| pltal with a portion of his skull missing.
He recovered from this injury after several
months, and was sent to the penitentiarv
soon after be left the hospital for a feloni-
Gus assault upon policeman. After serving
two years he was suddenly attacked
with epileptic fits. The fits were unusu-
ally violent and increased rap
idly in number. egave as fine an exhibit
ton Of pure epilepsy as was ever seen. The
shocks became so frequent and severe that
there was danger of his dying at any mo-
ment from nervous exhaustion. He became
foolish, almost idiotic, when free from con-
vulsions, and often remained many hours in
a comatoSe state. The only outward indica-
ton of cranial disturbance was a large swell
ing in the head in the frontal region, where
the bone had been destroyed. 1t was thought
to be an emulation of brain substance, as it
palpitated and contracted and expanded in
accordance with the emotions.
1t was a magnificent case for a surgical
operation, and it was not many hours after
he had been taken 10 Charity hospital be-
fore he was lying upon an operating table,
with DR.. Howard working upon his skull
A circular incision was made from the
outer angle of each eyebrow, taking in a
small section of the scalp covered with hair.
Ahis made flap, which was torn from the
bone and laid over the patients face.
| Through the hole in the skull which had
been made at the time of the explosion
there protruded dark blush mass, COW
cred by soft velvety membrane. 1t was
dangerous to handle. In order
to facilitate its removal and
diminish the danger nearly the entire
frontal bone was cut away with bone for
ceps. The blush mass was embedded in
the brain and covered nearly the whole
frontal section. The skull had acted as a
compress upon the substance and as soon
as the pressure was taken off the foreign
growth expanded several inches, making
the head an enormous size, as if the patient
had hydrocephalus. The surgeon, with
great care and splendid skill, tore the mass
free from the brain, fortunately with but
little hemorrhage. The brain was unavoid-
ably lacerated in several places
and at the top of the head, when
the mass was raised, a section of
the brain chung to it. When the
adhesions had been broken so that
there only remained a particle about an
inch in diameter clamp was put over this
portion and screwed tightly. a knife was
run close to the clamp and the new growth
was extirpated. The condition of the brain
indicated that there had been a severe in
fiammation at former period. The new
growth was blush clear through, and in
side of il were found two splinters of glass
about an inch and a half long, which had
been driven through the skull into the
brain. The divided end at the clamp was
scared with the galvano-cautery wire to
prevent secondary hemorrhage, if possible
Despite the loss of considerable portion of
the brain and the terrible shock, the patient
recovered. There were no more symptoms
of epilepsy.
The most remarkable feature was the
change in the patients meLtal condition.
| The operation transformed him from q
brute into a man. He became tractable,
took sympathetic interest in the patients
near him, and did everything that he could
for their comfort Oaths seemed to be an
| unknown language to him, and all his pas
sions were subdued. Under the guidance
of priest he became converted and started
a religious revival in the hospital.
When the brain had thoroughly healed a
| secondary operation was performed upon
the patient. which was largely in the nature
of an experiment. The scalp was again
opened on the lines of the former incision
and the edges of the skull were scraped.
The scalp of large dog, which had been
specially procured, was removed, and
section of the skull was taken out with the
trephine and forceps The bone was trimmed
so as to fit portion of the mans head.
When this had been put il position another
piece of the dogs skull was transferred to
fuUn nil