The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-31
REsErTING 4 BROKEN Week.
A Fhysicias's Opportunity to Test the BE
lief That Il Could BE Done.


rare case OF rcsetting a broken neck has
come to light in Haydenvillc an obscure little
village In western Massachusetts,. The pa
tient. Michael Mahar. young man OF % after
n confinement OF three months, Is able to walk
about the village streets. While the case has
been the marvel Of the country physicians Tor
some time. no account of the operation has
been published.
About dusk one Saturday evening three
months ago DIR. Hubert II. Fagg OF Northanp-
ton. Mass. which Is the centre OF group OF
villages like Haydenville. while returning
from n summons to q country house noticed
wagon load Of young men turning into tho
road from a trough and almost at the instant
he caught sight Of them their horse plunged
forward with start that threw tho rear
seat from tho wagon and toppled tho
two occupants Of tho seat over back
ward. One rolled into II ditch and
was unhurt. but tho other lay motionless In
the road. Jumping from his carriage. tho
doctor knelt in the road beside tho young man
and tried to restore him to consciousness by
the usual means OF cold water and chniing:
but no effect was produced and, the fellows
face began to grow purple as though he were
strangling When the doctor put his arm
under the mans shoulders and raised him
slightly. the head foil over backward until it
At the sight OF that. two of the fellows COM
rades, who were looking on helplessly but
most nnxiously. tainted
Dr. Flagg comprehended that the young man
had struck on the back of his head md had his
neck broken. Tho universal maxim in tho
case OF broken neck Is: Make death as
easy as possible" When medical student in
the University OF Pennsylvania DR.. Flagg had
thought that II physician could be called in
nees %s 50 shoulder fde or tsh
hn nee pspth p sa I
Afforded tIe Opportunity to test, the a. tGEs;ory:
the moment Ge saw what the trouble was.
Without wasting m instant Or. Flagc step.
pss Dst 81 hs sy s y
Then t tSTnns tho head from sido to sids% asI:
again. Kespiration had become imperceptiIIe
original position. but aiterward there was
medst Tsei PPs Sons might a sesp Whoss
nerves had not deserted him. rolled his coat
and forced some brandy down Mahar's throat.
rose s rad rom IL beats ANU aeos
~. They were heif 2 mile from any house and
lows who had tainted regained their senses
and the doctor sent them to the nearest house
kneoling in. the road during the twenty-five
minutes that elapsed before the supplies
arrived. In tho mean time the patients PULSE
cas!onal moments OF consciousness. =,
With difficulty he was placed upon the mat
Would have ended his lie n twinkiins The
horse Was taken out Of the wagon as ; BE,
so@e Volunteers . pulled the wagon after them
three miles to the village. the doctor holding
the head In p2sstion stimH !in n and watch
comp ications. it was discovered that not only
pieces Of bone forming the casing for the spi;;
cages could ra Be- fe at the Back
in sSsS s s sssP stsspFsiatisP.
al ssir S That was dresded and tho
drugs administered internally; but in a large
measure by the CONSTANT appliEatit9Sn en- Of hSt
the e Young man was worked over and the task
was most dificult. for the pain made him
Se thu hs N saese noHe
that that hight. and on the. following morning an
iron brace was made which fastened the head
From that time on the struggle was g, one Of
than three e Weeks the bandages on the neck
had to be changed every ten minutes. night
and day. to ward of Inflammation. Every
week, young Mahar grew stronger and a little
BUNCH on tho neck. like tho enlargement. on
welded iron. showed that the fractured liga-
ments and broken bone had knit: After six
weeks he was able to lie on the pillow without
the brace during the day time. although it
was always necessary to replace 1t when
no slept. Then he began to be able to
move his head from side to. side and az
ter eight weeks it was possible for him to move
1t forward and backward. and Dr. Flagg began
to hope that he might be able some time to 90
began to walk again. Every day his neck is
getting stronger. and it is believed that 1t Is
only question Of time when his remarkable
cure will DO complete.
Only two casos that approach Mahar's have
been recorded. One was an experiment in
this line at the University Of Pennsylvania
more than ten years ago. 1t attracted great
deal OF attention. but the cure was never per-
feet Tho best known case is that Of n brake
man ON the New York Central Railroad. who
had his neck broken by fall from the top OF n
freight car dozen years ago. His neck was
reset, but could never support his head with
ont the aid OF an iron brace. That case attract
ed so much attention that the brakeman made
a snug fortune out Of his broken neck by eN-
hibiting himself as curiosity.
The HUDSON RIJER BRIDGE