The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-26
BULLET In HIS BRAIN
CASE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THAT
OF LITTLE MINNIE sAILER.
william Bert. Of PittsburE, Living
with u Se1f-Fired Bullet I'm His
Head-Parf of 1t Removed.

PITTSBURG, Sept. 25.-Part of one Of
the thirty-eight-caliber bullets Embedded
in the brain of william Bert. who at
tempted to commit. suicide short time
ago. over being Tilted in a love affair,
vas removed from HIS brain yesterday. An
attempt was made to get at the other
pieces of lead and extract them. but they
we're surrounded by such vital organs that
it was given up. Still, the doctors say
that Bert may live for number of years
with one bullet and part of another in
his gray matter. They do not put any lin
it on the time, and If complications do
not set in he may yet arrive at a good
ripe age. The foreign substances in the
cerebral region do not seem to affect mis-
reasoning powers. and he talked last night
after the opera ton, cas- rational as one
might ask. He bore the terrible ordeal
through which he passed in the afternoon
wonderfully WE'LL and was disappointed
that both of the bullets had not been re-
moved. ae
His case is a marvel to the medical fra
ternity, and how it is possible for him to
live they cannot understand, as the bullets
were found yesterday to have passed right
through the most vital parts of his brain.
1t was laughingly suggested that possibly
there was no gray matter in the top of
his skull, but this was ,disproved at the
| operation yesterday by small pieces oozing
out through the channel where the bullets
had traversed. ..fs~
The operation was performed by Drs;
| r. l.. McGrew, Babb and Rankin, and
| was witnessed by large number OF
| prominent physicians, who are showing
great interest IN the case After Bert had
| been anaesthetized an incision was made
| and trephining done to allow of the passing
of the instruments to the interior of the era
NAL region, and the rsmoyel of the pieces sss
wound made by the bullet. A large num-
| Der CT pieces of dead bone were removed.
| An exploration of. the brain in search of
| the bullets then followed. Probes were in
| serted and after considerable difficulty a
| piece of one of the balls was located about
| three inches from the surface. 1t was
| finally removed and the probing process
| continued. One of the bullets was encoun-
| tered about five inches from where 1t had
| entered. but the removal of It was not at
| tempted as DR.. McGrew said 1t would I'M
| doubtedly entail fatal results. The piece
| of bullet removed was fully three-quarters
| of an inch in length and was perfectly fiat
| tened, evidently frcm contact with the bone
| before it entered the brain
| To show how remarkable this case is 1T
] is only necessary to. state that the middle
| finger of the hand could be inserted to its
| entire length into the head without encoun-
| tering any distinctions and probe can be
passed to depth CT five inches. That Bert
| should live after all this has happened to
| him. and with nearly two ounces of lead
attached 10 his brain is the most remark
| able occurrence that has ever developed in
| the history of surgery in this part OF the
| country. II there is any record of a case
/ TO equal il in the entire practice of sur
gerry, none Of the doctors seen, yesterday
! know of it. The result Of yesterdays oper-
| alton will undoubtedly restore Bert to a
| fair condition of health and relieve a great
deal of the pressure which has been on his
| brain. and enable the ragged wounds in
| his forehead to heal