Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-09-26
Heart on Right Side.

Miss Lou Fisher of Walpole, II years
old, was severely burned 10 months ago, |
at the residence OF Mrs. Hayward, with
whom she lived in Walpole. Her clothing
caught fire from pan Of ashes she was
emptying and she extinguished the flames
by rolling in the deep snow. The sores
made never healed. Skin grating was
tried but was not successful.
Miss Fisher entered the Gouveneur hos
pital October 26, 1895 She complained
OF pains about the heart and was cared for
at the hospital for three days. when she
was sent to the New York hospital, where
she remained until she died on the morn
ing of September 20. 1t was when she
was first examined at the New York hospi.
tai that the abnormal position of Miss
Fishers heart was noted. The stethoscope,
placed over the locality where the heart
ought to be, showed no pulse. The physi-
clans were puzzled. Yet she lived and
breathed, and pulse was clearly discern
ible at her wrist.
So the physicians went searching for the
lost heart, and when it was found, slightly
to the right of the centre of the body,
there was a consultation, and Miss Fisher
was shown to and examined by all the
young physicians and surgeons in the insti-
tutions.
At the autopsy the heart was found at
the right side Of the breast bone. This
displacement was caused by the middle
lobe of the right lung having collapsed
This permitted the sack which holds the
heart to slope over to the right side, where
it performed its regular functions without
interruption. The displacement must have
occurred over year ago.-Sentinel.
The following regarding Miss Fisher is
from DR.. A. P. Richardson of Walpole:
The remains Of Miss Lou Fisher were
brought here for burial last Tuesday, from
the New York hospital, where she died on
the goth inst. On account of some rather
sensational reports in the daily New York
and Boston papers, the WITHDRAWING
been her attending physician for several
months before her entrance to the New
York hospital desires to explain one or
| two points OF what the reporter calls, "A
Strange Case" The Heart on the Wrong
Side," and other headings in large type Of
similar nature. 1.-The hospital doctors
were not sure which side of her body her
heart was, but were of the opinion that
she had lived some time before her death
with her heart performing its functions on
the right side of her body" says the
reporter. "This displacement must have
occurred over year ago." is another state
ment, appearing to have been authorized
by the coroner's physician. Another state
ment is g She had lived certainly several
months, probably all her lite, with her
heart performing its functions in well
defined position under the right lung
Again, "the heart seems to have been dis
placed by nature"
The facts relieve the case of all mystery,
and are in brief as follows: The lnfortu-
nate girl sustained very severe and extern
sive burn on large part of the left side OF
her body. For 10 months she was unable
to lie on the left side, being unable to
stand, sit or lie on that side for moment
on account Of the extensive raw surface
She was growing girl, not much over IL
years old at the time of the accident; lying
upon the right side naturally prevented the
full expansion of the right lung, while the
left lung was more fully developed, com
pensating in measure for the loss o
action in the right. The weight of tn.
body favored the slow displacement of tn,
heart towards the right side, towards the
CoHlpICoocu IlSuI lung, WHICH ulSpldCS
ment was aided by the weight of the hear
| itself, gravitating towards the point o
least resistance. Place any growing chile
in the same position for the same length o.
time and the result will be the same. This
condition was perfectly known before she
eft home and was not considered mysteri-
Gus, being the certain result Of natural
and known causes. A similar condition
often exists in cases of pleurisy with large
effusion OF fluid in the left pleural cavity,
the heart being crowded to the right of the
sternum by the slowly secreting fluid.
Instances of this character are always
Of interest to the scientific world, on
account OF their rarity" says the reporter.
| will venture to say the scientific world
sees nothing rare in this case. As to the
statement that 'She was once discharged
as cured from the Elliott hospital at Keene,
| N. H." and that this bright girl "gave no
explanation Of her coming to New York, u
| have no comments to make, as they are
seif-evidently absurd.
Miss Fisher had the warm sympathy of
this entire community in which she lived,
which has been manifested in many sub
stantial ways. Indeed, her transference
to New York was through the generosity
of person who hoped that her recovery
might be fastened by hospital conven-
fences, and all her friends approved OF the
change. The sympathy of all is with her
widowed mother, who has been faithful to
her unfortunate daughter, OF whom she is
now bereft.