The morning call., 1890-11-22
BOTH DEAD AND ALIVE.

. Deprived by a Blow on the Head of the
=. Control of Most of His Faculties.
Cook County Hospital has patient
: whose case is attracting considerable atten-
ton from the medical profession in Chicago,
: and whose recovery from a wound which he
" received some ten days ago is little short of
miraculous. On the morning of October
:. 21st, Officer Costello OF the Seventh Pre-
cinet brought to the hospital man who, in
an alteration with a Street-car driver at the
corner of Thirty-nipth and State Streets had
: been struck over the head with street.
, car coupling-pin- The fight took place at
8 o'clock, and the man, who was drunk,
had lain in cell from that hour till he was
brought to the hospital three or four hours
later. On examining the patient it was
found that there was wound about the size
-ef hatt-dollar above aud behind the left
:: ear, with large cavity full of blood clOts
and crushed brain matter. A large quau-
flty of brain matter had oozed out, and at
first ight the doctors pronounced it hope
less; case The man was apparently CON-
sei6uS but unable to speak, and remained
quiet while the wound was being dressed.
The operation was tedious one, involving
the laying open of the scalp and removing
all the crushed bone and eXtrane0us matter
in the wound.
After the dressing the man found his
speerh and his first words were: ''Ob, give
me a drink" He was able to walk from
tile operating-room to the bed in the ward,
where he has remained ever since. For
some days the mau lowered between life and
death and nothing definite could be made
out of him. He could speak, but not intelli-
gibly. and it was found that while the
speech centers themselves had not been de-
streyed the associated track between them
and the lingual centers had. For some
days almost the only answer that could be
got from him was couched as follows:
:: Jes, sir; jes. sir; jess-s-s. sir. only
:: one glass more" his mind evidently running
on the last thing he remembered. The
sight centers had not been injured, as the
wound was not far enough back to Affect
them, but the temperature, hands, arms,
legs and hearing were all more or less af-
feetpd. At times red-hot pin could be ap-
: pied to the patient without his feeling it in
1.-the slightest. He was unable TO lift
either his right OF left arm to any
distance, or grasp with his hands ex-
cept in The feebiest manner. When
spoken 20 he would apparently consider and
. hesitate for some moments and then sud
denly do what he was told. When asked
question he would try TO answer, knowing
. seemingly what he wanted to say. but being
unable to say it. Except when he is delirious
he is q most exemplary patient, as he lies in
his bed, smiling and talking away in his IN
iutelligible manner. When asked question
he seems TO think, and then his eyes
brighten, and he tries his hardest to answer,
evidently knowing what he wants to say
but utterly unable to express himself. He
submits TO the dressing of his wound
with the utmost. comDlacency. and
never moves a muscle while the Siphon Is
being placed in the cavity. When asked if
it hurts he says mo. sir" and is as gentle
as child. he obeys everything said to
him, and Lifts or lowers his head Just as he