The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-22
A BROKEN NECK

Young Bir. Dnryoa.
New York Sun: Walter E. Duryea, Of
Glen Cove. whose neck was broken by
a dive into shallow water on August Z,
was operated on yesterday at Roose-
welt Hospital. The broken parts Of
vertabrae that were pressing on BIS
spinal cord were removed, and last
night he was reported doing very well
indeed though It was too early to say
what are the prospects Of his recovery
He refused to take ether and he was
conscious all through the operation The
operation took place shortly after :
O'Clock. At s o'clock Superintendent
Lathrop, Of the hospital, read the fol-
lowing statement to the reporters:
"By the use OF the X-ray apparatus
the doctors found that the fifth Verte,,
brae was fractured and they removes
the posteriOr parts Of the nth and skin
yertebrae which were pressing on the
splnni cord, thus removing pressure
that had produced some OF the symp-
toms. The original damage TO the cord
was so great that Il is impossible TO say
how much benefit will follow the opera
ton, but some. at least, Is hoped Tor.
Removal Of the fractured bone and oth-
er portions pressing on the spinal cord
was successfully accomplished, the pa
tIent bearing the operation with great
| fortltude. While Mr.. Duryea's condi-
tion was such as to render It eXpedient
that the operation be done under CO.
caine, every preparation was made Tor
the administration Of ether. DR.. Thomas
L. Bennett, the anaesthett1er. OF the
hospital. being on hand for that pur-
pose. There were present Drs. Robert
Able, Robert F. Weir and Arthur
Fisk, surgeons, and DR.. Pearce bally
| and DR., Fisher neurologiBtS, who nave
been IN frequent consultation since Mr.
Duryea's injury.
"Dr, Able told the family Of Mr..
Duryea that in this elnss Of cases ma
| terlal Improvement did not begin un-
der two or three weeks from the time OF
''The foregoing statement was au-
thOFIzed by the family Of Mr.. Duryea,
without whose consent such informa-
ton would not be given out at the hos
Mr. Duryen is q private patient at the
hospital. He has been there since
August II, four days after the accident
| by which his neck was broken He
has been attended by DR.. Able. lntur.
les such as his, are ordinarily fatal anu
very little hope has been held out for
his recovery. He has been lying on a
water bed, his back and neck being
supported by a splInt cut to fit his body.
| He has been conscious, but has been
paralyZed from the chin down. On
| September 5 1t was determined to To-
cate the fracture more definitely with
the idea Of performing an operation II It
were feasible. An X-ray photograph
was taken OF his neck and It disclosed
the fractured bone and also the dislo-
| cation Of the fifth and sixth vertebrate.
| This dislocation so interfered with the
canal through which the spinal cord
runs that at the point Of dlslocation
there was not sufficient room for the
cord and the bone pressed against II,
causing the paralysis. The fifth and
sixth vertebrne are In the neck at about
the point where the top OF an ordinary
standing collar reaches.
DR.. Abbe's examination OF the photo
graphs convinced him that an operation
might be performed with a fair chance
| of success. Without an operation,
there was no hope for Mr.. Duryea- Al
| ter the photographs had been taken the
| doctors devoted themselves 10 building
up Mr. Duryea's strength to stand the
| operation and he was in ft condition
on Sunday when DR.. Able secured the
consent of Mr.. Duryea's fnthe-. Young
Duryea himself had been anxious from
the day the operation was first suggest
ed. to have It done.
Mr.. DURYEA'S room In the hospital is
some distance from the Sims operat-
ing theatre, where nearly all the oper-
atlons OF the hospital are performed,
and It was determined to do the work
in his room rather than to move him.
An operation without ether had not
| been thought Of, but when DR.. Able
chilled on Mr.. Duryea early in the after
noon the young man insisted that ha
was strong enough to bear the pain no
matter how severe 1t might be, and he
would not permit the administration Of
ether unless the doctor positively or
dered its use. DR.. Able said 1t was de-
sIrable, but was not necessary to use
ether. DR.. Bennett was Informed that
his services would not be required. He
remained as q spectator. as was Louis
DuFyea, the uncle Of the patient.
When the time cnme for the opera
ton, the physicians named in the state
ment above, several nurses and one or
two of the hospital physicians were In
the room. Mr.. Duryea was on his back
in the water bed. The X-ray photo
graphs were on hand, showing the ex-
act condition OF affairs at the point OF
the wound. Mr.. Duryea said that he
was ready, and he was lifted over on
his side. He was lying in q rather awk-
ward position for the doctor, but 1t was
| the most convenient that could be ar
ranged. DR.. Able made an Incision on
the back OF the neck next to the spine,
and opposite the fifth and sixth verte-
| brac. The flesh was pushed and lifted
aside, exposing the bone, and the frac-
tured back OF the fifth cervical vertihra
was removed. It was pressing hard
against the spinal cord. Next. the sixth
vertibrn was similarly treated. All that
| had been done In the way OF easing the
| pain Of the operation was n liberal use
| OF cocaine. That, OF course. had some
effect. but 1t did not kill the pain by any
/ means.
The operation lasted forty minutes,
and when II was over the spinal cord
was again free OF pressure. The bone
removed had found the back wall OF
the canal in which the cord is confined.
| The wound was dressed and Mr.. Dur
| yea was returned to his formed POSI-
| ton In the bed. The doctors stayed
with him for some time and he seemed
| to recover fully from the shock Of the
operation. The doctors were very much
encouraged. but they said II was abso-
lutely impossible to make any predic-
| ton Of the outcome for two or three
weeks at least. II nny be that the op-
Grafton will restore the young mans
health entirely, In which cnse after the
wound heals. while parts Of two
bones viii be missing from his back
bone, he viii never miss them.
The operation has been performed n
number OF times, but II Ia rare enough
TO be Of very great interest to the med