The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-02-14

state OF Affairs.
N MOST remarkable medical case
n has originated at Keokuk,
~ Iowa, which is giving physi
clans something to study
about. 1t is what some surgeons cal
Jacksonian epilepsy. The patient is ?.
r. Turnbull, a farmer residing at Pack
wood, Iowa. When he came to Keokuk
he stated that he was thirty-one years
old, and that when he was only ter
years old his brother accidentally
struck him on the back of the head
with an AK, fracturing the skull above
the right ear. He says he did not
suffer much from the wound until the
fall of 1891. Then he began to notice
n numbness in the little finger of the
left hand. This numbness extended to
the other fingers as time wore on, and
finally his hand would experience
spasms of contraction. He lost con-
troll of the muscles to the extent OF
paralysis. Finally his entire arm, the
left side of his neck and face, and his
left leg became involved, and in Sep
tember, 1892, began series of terrible
epileptic fits. These became so fire.
quent and depressing that lately Turn
bull shot himself in the breast, but the
ball struck a RIB, doing no serious
harm.
Turnbull had wife and four chill
dren, and on account of his infrmity
SO abused his family that his wife
secured a divorce. He was operated
upon by surgeons at hospital there
Thursday and has so far recovered as
to relate some very queer things. The
operation consisted in removing the
skull in the vicinity of the old wound,
which was nothing but a scar. This
was trephined and n section of bone
taken out. The bone was found to be
much thickened in front of the cut
made by the AK twenty-one years ago
and was spongy at the side. The
membranes of the brain were unusually
adherent. After the operation Turn
bull came out from under the in
fuence of anesthetics, and, opening
his eyes as one who had been sound
asleep, asked of the attendant, Sister
of Mercy, in the hospital:
"Where am II"
When told that he was in hospital
his amazement was something sur
prising. He wanted to know how he
got there, why he was there, and In
reply to the explanations of the at
tendant seemed more dumbfounded
than ever. Then one of the operating
physicians recalled the story thai
Turnbull had told of his accident
when child, and of all he had sait
concerning his ailment just previous
to the operation. Turnbull looked al
the physician moment in blanl
amazement and then exclaimed:
''Why, never saw you before il
my lifel"
"Do you remember all those epilep
tic fits?" asked the surgeon.
'I never had but two," replied
Turnbull, "and they were in Septem
Der, 1892. Have you told my wife o
this?" asked Turnbull.
He did not know that his wife hat
secured divorce, and realizing tina
fact the surgeon made an evasiy,
answer.
''My God, is she dead exclaimed
the poor man. When assured that hi
wife was alive he exclaimed: "Bu
something might have happened worse
than death l'
Turnbull has returned to his hom'
in Packwood, but he cannot remember
a single thing that has happened sine
September, 1892. He thought Har
rison was still President, had not heard
of Cleyeland's election, nor of Boies''
defeat He has learned for the. tirs
time that times are hard, as he spok,
of money being plenty and prices fol
farm products high. The World
Fair and its glories are myth to HIM
Physicians explain the theory OF thu
phenomenon on the statement tina
some people use one hemisphere OF tn
brain to the exclusion of the other
and if some injury occurs TO 1t tn
other hemisphere is brought into ser
vice and old impressions are eitaced
| There is no doubt that Turnbull vii
be restored cured to his wife anC
| family. Chicago Times.