The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-14
Victim OF LOCKJAV.
Terrible sufferings of
Pole in the City
Hospital.

John Moraschi. so years old, car
penter, of No "A Railroad avenue, died
in the City Hospital yesterday in the
most terrible agony imaginable as a re-
suit of lockjaw. He was admitted to the
hospital on Friday and was under the
constant care and attention of doctors
and nurses from the time he was re-
ceived in the male ward until he died.
DR.. Charles Knowles treated him.
Had Moraschi come to US in time,
said DR.. Knowles 1--WE would have admin
istered anti-toxine, no matter what the
expense might be, but he was so far gone
that there was little hope of saving him,
and the anti-toxine treatment would prob
ably have had no effect. All we could do
for him was to administer chloral, pio-
mides and chloroform to ease ms pam.
Even those drugs had but little erect.
We fed him with milk at first by prying
open his Jaws, but Saturday night they
became so firmly locked that we couid NOT
open them and we had to ADOPT other
methods of giving him nourlsnnlenl.
When he was admitted he was able to
tell us between his spasms little OF the
history of his case. He soon became un-
able to speak however.
Moraschi lived with a Polish family on
the top floor of big tenement at NO. "A
Railroad avenue He was merely board
er and so far as is known had no rela-
tives in this city. About eighteen days
ago he cut his foot while at work. Inc
wound bled freely, but was apparently
a mere scratch and he did not pay much
attention to it. He failed to cleanse 1t
either when the accident happened or
when he reached his home. He permitted
the dirty rag with which he had bound
it to remain on until the flesh had healed.
His foot gave him no bother and ne Went
about his work as usual.
Nothing strange happened until early
Thursday morning. when awakening
he complained of a soreness in his throat;
He was not suffering from cold and
could not account for his strange affec-
ton When he attempted to eat his
breakfast he found that it was only with
the greatest difficulty that ne could sWal-
low He went to his work, but before
noon complained of strange tWltcnlng
of the nerves of his neck and was forced
to go home. Still he did not call a
physician. and the people he lived with l
he would be all right, he only had cold
The soreness gradually spread until all
the muscles of his neck were aft eesed,
twitching his head every few minutes.
That night he was seized with violent
spasms and his head was drawn back un-
til it seemed as if his neck would break.
His boarding mistress became alarmed.
She could not account for his strange con-
duct He seemed bent on ditorting. his
features and aeting in every way Ike
called in had never seen anything like it,
and being superstitious would not ap-
proach him.
The next morning the ambulance was
sent for and he was taken to the hospl-
tai in the most violent stage of lockjaw.
He grew steadily worse, despite all the
doctors could do for him. The convul-
sions became more frequent. Every mus
Gle of his body became stiffened. A man
could have jumped on the cords OF his
neck without causing him to change the
horribly strained position of his head. AS
the hours passed his head fell back fur
ther and further, and his body stiffened
harder and harder, and became more and
more contorted until finally his head and
heels alone touched the bed while his
body formed an arch, as rigid as If carved
out of granite. 1t only relaxed and that
temporarily when the convulsions came
and then the rigidity was more pro-
nounced upon the position being resumed.
Some of these convulsions were SO
violent as to throw the patient out of
bed Towards the last sardonic grin,
which will haunt those who saw it for
many a night became fixed upon his
features and he frothed at the mouth as
a mad dog. In this way he died. He was
conscious to the end. His body, twisted
out of all proportion, lies in the dead
house. The last case of lockjaw DR..
Knowles had in the City Hospital was
about six months ago. They are rare.