The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-21
The KNOCKOUT PUNCH.
Not Serious in Its Effects When a
Pugilist Is in Good
Health.
The Opinion OF Or. George r
Shrady, the Great New York
Specialist.
Oreau,o Or fractional Troubles Exist in
the Men Who Suffer Death In the
Prize Ring.

Prize Ring.
DR.. George F. Shrady, the eminent New
York specialist. writes ns follows in the
New York Recorder. The report Of tho
death Of q pugilist of the name of Donovan,
following a ring contest with one Dunfee,
also q pugilist, At Syracuse. was widely pub
slishsd Immediately after the occurrence.
The newspapers also Inform us that a mum
Der Of those interested in the fight, includ-
ing Dunfee. were arrested. These facts are
merely mentioned as an introduction to the
question: "Will q blow from the fist cause
deAthw
Prize fighting is a subject with which the
medical profession has little to do. 1t is
mot q pastime that appeals to mankind gen.
orally. 1t 10 u brutal sport. but this is not
material. The question. rs it possible for
a blow from q fast to cause death?" is one
that should be carefully dealt with. II
opens q wide Geld, and to consider it
lightly would be to slight a subject which
10 of great interest to the community at
large and especially to followers Of pueil-
ism.
In the prize rine-and here let it be under
stood, please. that the writer knows moth
ing of this kind of ''sport' and has never
witnessed such an exhibition in his life
blows are to be expected. We have pre-
neditated and accidental blows. In the
accidental class. a blow, while struck pre-
meditatively. may not be landed on n
particular part Of the anatomy. In the
premsditated blow of the pugilist some vul-
nerable point is desired to be reached. as.
for instance. the side Of the jaw or a spot
over the heart. The purpose of tbs pueilist
is not TO kill his antagonist. but to merely
disable him 10 that he cannot respond to
the call for the next ronnd.
John L. Sullivan, whom the writer exam
ined Tin his capacity as physician) before
his fight with Corbett. said he always tried
to disable his antagonists by striking them
over the heart or on the side of the jaw.
Blows delived on these parts Of the body
in Sullivnn's case were always more ''effec-
tual'' than others, and ifthey did not knock
his opponent Immediately into unconscious
ness, added largely in securing him q VIC
tory.
Sullivan, though he had ne anatomical
knowledge whether a blow on the stomach
or one over the heart was more effective
than one on the side of the jaw. was aware
of the jaw did it's work moro quickly and
more completely than the one delivered on
either of the other two parts named.
It was by means of a blow or, the side of
the jaw, the newspapers tell us,Vhat Puail-
ist Donovan lost consciousness' and died
some hours later.
But did Donovan die from the shook of
the blow. or was he suffering at the time
from soLle disease which, added to the
shock. caused death?
Let the reader strike himself or herself
amartly over the side o. the jaw and nots
OF the blow. Immediately its effect is felt
in the disturbance of equilibrium.
Shock may be gradual or sudden. A man
OF sound health a is capable of receiving more
punishment than another who is not so heal
thy. In the case of the healthy man. if he is
struck repeatedly on certain parts of his
body, the shock to his nerves will be grad
ual. In the unhealthy mans casa ono blow.
of the same force as she dozen received by
the healthy man, will often be sufficient to
cause sudden shock. or, in ring parlance, a
knock out.
At this time another question suggests
itself. Is it possible to kill an unhealthy
man with a blow of the fist? Decidedly,
yes. II any OF the organs are diseased.
such disease, combined with the shock of
the blow, 10 likely to cause death.
Is it possible to kill a healthy man with a
blow of the Est? Yes, but naturally, not
SO easy as in the case of the unhealthy
man, for the reason already given.
When two men train hard and faithfully
for u prize fight, and enter the ring in per-
feet condition, providing they have no or
Cenic OF even functional trouble, l con-
Tend that it is impossible that one can be
killed instantly BY the force of II blow
from the others fist, or that he may die
later from its effects. He may lie in an
there is an internal ailment, or tina brain
receives an accidental ard direct injury
by pressure from a fractured skull or rup-
tured blood vessel, he has every chance for
recovery.
In a majority Of cases of death by shock,
and especially in cases where Il blow of the
fist was the alleged cause, thu autopsy
showed evidences of disease.
The writer does not know tho result of
the autopsy, or if one was held, in the case
of Pugillst Donovan, and is unable. there
fore. to talk i~ntelligently about this partic-
ulas case. 1t ia almost IN assured fact.
however. that death in his cuso was not
caused by the blow alone.
Sullivan's experience RS a "knocker- out"
indicated he was right in selecting tho side
of the jaw near the ohm as the most vul-
nerable point. Blows on the top or side of
tie head. or OF the temple, or OF the back
of the neck. or in the stomach, are ell liza
BILE to knock n man out. but none is 90
sure of accomplishing this purpose as u
hard blow delivered on the side of the chin.
When the side of the chin is struck, the
central poise of the head is disturbed in
two di9ectiong-sideways and backward
and the victim is doubly knocked from his
balance.
Each special sense has q nerve center. II
one receives a blow on the nose, behind the
ear. ETC., it is communicated TO the nerve
centers OF the brain, and produces a direct
conclusion of the brain, and not necessarily
a fatal injury.
When two well-trained and healthy pu-
giiists enter the ring their stomachs q g
empty. Thus is q large part of the LANCER
to life avoided. But if a pngilist has any
heart difficulty. howeve slight, q blow on
the pit OF the stomach may prove fatal.
There are q number OF cases in medical
history where death has been caused by a
blow In the pit of the stomach. One of
these ia that of DIR. Lambert, who died i'm
indefinitely after receiving n blow from the
Est of one of a gang OF rioters. He had
Just dinea before the blow was struck. An
autopsy failed TO show any mark of inju.y,
although there was a few dark red spots on
the internal surface of the stomach, and
shese we're only marks of external CON
fusion. The brain was found to be healthy.
III bAnN 81 "a