Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-01-14
A BROKEN NECK ski
Wonderful Triumph of Surrerr
I:.ye i'm NEasSach,' :" h

Wonderful Triumph of Surgery in j.,
lage in Massachuset,s
A rare medical case, and ono
stands almost unparalleled in tLo
tory ofmedicine UP to the presert a.
has been successfully treated in H..
tie village of Haydenville, Mass u
the resetting of broken nerl
the patient, Michael Mahar, a ros
man of 90, after confinement of a
months, is now able to walk ahor,.I WI
village streets.
This remarkable case has bo0.
marvel of the country physicians raI
about, out no account of the ona o v9l
which has been thought to he ,i no"D
surgical skill, has hitherto been Oi
lished. About three months ago p \
Hubert II. Flags, of Northsmnto
while returning from visit to cnp p,V
house, witnessed an accident by wI
two young men in party Of foIur" WY
thrown from a wagon. One rolled IN,
a ditch and picked himself up. brt 4, ~
other lay motionless in the road WV
Jumping from his carriage. the 4 ~.
put his arm under the mans shonIS
and raised him slightly. The voU'
mans head fell over backward pn tI'
rested upon the back between :,
shoulders. His neck was broken
The universal maxim in cases Of
broken neck is: "Make death as oa,
as possible" but DR.. Flag, whom
medical student at the UNIVERSITY
Pennsylvania, had decided that ifa d.,
tor got at his patient in time it ought
be possible to set a broken neck as ws
as dislocated shoulder or thigh. with
out waiting an instant, DR.. TIaol
stepped back of the body, placed N
knees against the patients shoulder
and took the head gently but firmly he
tween his hands. Then turning II /
head from side to side, delicately, M
gave a strong, steady pull. There wgl
sharp snap-the head was again in IN
pocket.
Moments were precious now, Rad
piration had become imperceptbIe bel
fore the head was snapped back into id
original position, but this done, ther]
was immediate relief, and slight resi-
piration was noticeable. The docto1
forced some brandy down Maharl
throat. This had stimulating effect
and his pulse rose gradually from II
beats a minute, to which dangerous
state it had fallen. to about 36.
By exercisingg great care the younguan
was transferred distance of three miles
to his home, DR.. Flagg holding his head
in position all the time. Delicate and
exciting as had been the struggle against
death thus far, it was now that the real
battle began. To add to the complies
tons, it was soon discovered that not
only had the neck been dislocated-or
as it is ordinarily called, 'brokcn,"-
but some Of the delicate pieces OF bone
forming the casing of the spinal cord
had been crushed, and when ones
fingers were applied to the back of the
neck they could be felt and heard grat-
ing against one another.
The inflammation 0 the spinal cord wa.
reduced by constant application of hot
cloths to the back Of the neck, night and
day, for more than three weeks An
iron frame held the head securely, st
that the neck could not again be dislo
Gated by the patients writing. Every
little bunch on the neck, like the en-
ldISSucIlJ OH WCluSu IRON, SuONCu tld
the fractured ligaments and broken bon'
had knit.
After six weeks he was able to lie on
the pillow without the aid of a brace
during the daytime, although it wa
always necessary to replace it when ht
slept. Then he began to be able It
move his head from side to side, an'
after eight weeks it was possible for hin
to move it backward and forward YER
gingerly, and at that DR.. Flagg began t
hope that he might some time be ADJ!
to go without any brace whatsoever-ll
fact, that he would become actually &
well as ever.
Three weeks ago, Mahar tried the eX
pertinent of walking, ana finding n
difficulty: now goes out of doors an
about the streets, after most panlU
confinement Of three months. Ever
day the neck is getting stronger, and
is only a question Of time when his re
markable cure will be complete. j
that event the case would be without
parallel in the annals Of medicine. A
it is, there are only two recorded TIA
approach it.
Mahar's case, aside from its orlglna
ity, is chiefly interesting in that it show
that the time-honcred custom of regarc
ing a broken neck as necessarily tau
must be abandoned. It may be curet