Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-11-16
Proof against Pain.

One of the most marvellous stories in
the entire range of medical literature
has Just come to light in the case OF
Mrs. Ellen Molloy against the South,
ern Pacific Railroad Company for $50,-
600 damages. which she claims by rea.
son of the negligent killing of her hus-
band two years ago in Il railroad wreck
wherein Il train of cars ran over b 8
thighs and almost severed both legs
midway above the knees and the hip
joint.
Testimony from medical men and
nurses will establish fact which con-
tradicts nearly all the experiences OF
mankind. John w. Molloy's sudden
taking Off by being lun over by al
heavy freight train, which jumped the
track and struck him at distance OF
thirty feet from the rails, was painless,
though he lived for five hours after the
train crushed and mangled him.
1t is story of death without pain,
under circumstances unknown in pre-.
vious eases of Il similar character, OF
mutilation without feeling, of the amE
putaton of both legs without shock CT
pain-in short, a story of fatal injury
and death without suffering or loss of
consciousness until just the moment
before life was exiting suished. M dicsl
m ~ say such case probably never
occm ~ed before in the history of tie
world.
John ". MolIo;' was on his way TO the
California Sugar Refinery, where he
was cooper, on Aug. l3, 1891, and that
when he was at the side ct the railroad
track. between the bridge and the 20
trero. IL heavy freight train eft the
track and ran over his legs above tnc
knees, and that they were few hours
thereafter amputated by DR.. r. +. Will
liams at the Receiving Hospital: the
doctor who amputated Molloy's legs
said to an Examiner reporter recently,
.'Mollov did not suffer from the terri
BILE accident which resulted in his
death. He told me he felt no pain from
being struck and run over by the train,
aud that he did not suffer thereafter
from the effects of the frightfnl shock.
When | saw him he was not IN any ap-
parent misery. though his crushed legs
were hanging in a mangled condition
and the blood was fast ebbing from his
veins. His friends asked whether ne
was so badly hurt that his legs would
be lost. and he answered them with
the serenity of man smoking cigar
in rocking chair. He said that few
strokes of the knife would settle the
leg question with him forever.
''l then proposed TO amputate his legs.
said DR.. Williams "and he watched me put
the instruments in the antiScptic bath. lie
said he supposed if he didn't feel train oil
ears he wouldn't feel little thing like q
knife. and ON making al examination DIS
covered that he was still wholly inscnSibIe to
pain. There was. therefore, no occasion to
give hia, chloroform. and ampuatcd his legs
while he watched me. He knew something
was pressing against his legs when the knlie
went III. but there was no pain. He watched
the knife go through the mu 'cles and nerves
with indifference few hours later he dlcd
from the effects Of the shock.
There is no theory for the cccentnciues oil
.le case. All we know or all We can say is
that the peculiar nscnsibiity 10 PAIN he eS-
EiLitcd in some ways arose from the nervous
shock. In some manner the injury paralyzed
the ssnsory nerves and left the nerves OF mo,
,ion intact. for he could talk all right ana
move himself read dily. Such . case OF frozen
nerves might not occur again i'll ages. So"
Francisco Examiner