The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-26


fractured. and - quantity of the brain mat
ter was lost. There was. at the time, q
gaping wound in the skull. and the brain
for long time was exposed. DR.. w. Is.
Fletcher attended the case. and the boy.
now q man. recovered from the injury. and
was in no wise affected by il. HIS mental
faculties were not In any way impaired.
aud there was no lmpediment In the
speech. which sometimes follows as a re-
suit of injury TO the brain. nor was any OF
the other senses affected.
Another instance of similar nature was
that of Colonel Shuler. who was wounded
during the war. A bullet penetrated the
top of the skull and pressed upon the brain.
and Colonel Shuler recovered perfect
health. He after nv ards became partially
paraly zed. bur not as q result of this wound.
John Pfaff. OF this city, was also shot In
the head by sharpshooter and fully re-
covered from the wound. boy named
Cherdron. residing in this city. was. few
years ago. shot in the head. the ball pierre
ing the skull and entering the brain Just
above the eye. The boy recovered and Is
now as strong as ever and In no wise al
fected by the woand
notable case In this city of recent date
is that of Mrs. Charles Matheny, who was
shot by her husband about two years ago.
This case Is well remembered by residents
of the CITY. Matheny, q street-car driver,
in fit of jealousy. shot his wife. the ball
entering the brain. Matheny then shot
himself and died almost instantly. Mrs.
Matheny fingered for weeks between life
and death, with no hopes for her recovery.
She improved slowly. but finally recovered.
She has slight impeachment In her speech
as result of the wound, but is not other
wise affected. and her mental faculties
were not ia the least impaired. There was
q case near cambridge, Putnam county,
q number of years ago, where there was
ON almost miraculous recovery after a
terrible fracture of the skull and loss of
brain tissue. William Fosher. then boy
thirteen years OF age, was driving reaper
when the horses became frightened and
ran away. Fosher was thrown from the
seat and his Clothes caught in the machine.
he was dragged with it q considerable dis
tance with his head right in front of one
of the wheels. In this position be struck
large stone and his head was crushed
against it and terribly mashed be-
tween the stone and the wheel:
Portions of the brain were dashed
upon the rock, and he was picked ND
to be dead. He was carried Co the house
and DR.. Stanley. q brother-in-law of the in
Jured boy. was summoned. 1t was found
that he was yet alive. but there was con-
sidered no posi- bic chance for his recovery.
DR.. Stanley shaped up the head. which was
terribly mashed. and bandaaed il thor
ouRhly, only with view to relieving the
pain as much as possible. The boy lived
strength 80 we'll that his relatives began to
entertain hopes of his final recovery. He
was confined to his bed for months, but
eventually recovered. The recovery was
complete. there being o Impairment of the
senses or mental faculties and Fosher. who
is now o man of about thirty years. tells Of
the experience.
Another phenomenal recovery from q
wound received during the war Is that of
Marion Nicewsndcr, who enlisted from
Hendricks county. Nicewander was in the
battle of the Wilderness and during the
engagement was struck upon the head by q
fragment of she'll and left part of his
brains upon that memorable field. He was
picked up on the field and supposed to be
dead, there being q large section of his
skull carried away by the shell. He was
not dead, however. and is still living. or
was q few years ago. with his mental
faculties performing their natural func-
tions beneath trepsnning of large silver
plate.
In view of these and other Asses reported.
il does not seem out of the range of possi-
bilities that Kline should recover from his
wounds. He has advantages shat none of
the other cases cited, except perhaps that
of Mrs. Matheny, were benefited by He
received immediate attention and the adj
vantages of modern antiseptic surgery,
which are great points in his favor over that
of the Cited cases. The length of time that
he has now lived after tho injuries argues
much In favor of ultimate recovery. and "a
he i'm proves slowly rather than declines, it
is not unreasonable, in the light of the
authorities. to suppose that he will re-
cover.