The evening times., 1899-12-23

NEW YORK, Dec. Z3.-ParaiyZed Irom
his neck down. Walter B. Duryea, the most
interesting patient Roosevelt Hospital has
ever known. still retains his cheerful spir-
| it's and good humor though he is quietly.
steadily. but almost imperceptibly sinking.
Day after day the physicians report the
young man TO be ''about the same
No other reply could well be given to
the numerous enquiries concerning him..
But as the days depart the fact impresses
itself upon TIE attendants that gradually
the patients wonderful constitution is
breaking down.
Walter B. Duryea. son of Edgar E. Dur
yea, a starch manufacturer. OF Glen Cove.
l.. l., was for several years popular in So
ciety and athletic circles in this city and its
! more fashionable suburbs. Last August he
attempted a difficult feat in diving in the
Casino at Oyster Bay. Unfortunately, the
water was more shallow than he knew. and
a miscalcu,ation threw him head foremost
with grea. force against the bottom. He
was stunned by the shock, but was rescued
from drowning by companions, who ST first
thought that he was suffering frofn con-
cussion Of the brain.
As he failed to respond to the treatment
that could be given by the local physicians,
the young man was brought to this city by
his father who chartered special train in
order that his son should be enabled to take
the Journey with the least possible fatigue.
The transfer from the train to the hospital
vas made. a specially constructed stretcher
being used. without harm to the sufferer.
At that time the greatest difficulty was ex-
pc.;enced in the effort to keep the fever
down.
4 Delicate Operation.
AS soon as Mr.. Duryea's condition per-
mitted a careful examination was made by
physicians and surgeons. who had been
called into conference TO consider his case.
They verified the earlier belief that the
neck had been broken. and at once pro-
! nounced the injury necessarily fatal. Tney
could not understand how the young man
had so long survived. II was his wonderful
constitution, they said, which had made it
possible for MIN to live after the kink WIS
put into his spinal cord. 1t was that same
wonderful constitution which kept Duryee
in this world and enabled him to withstand
shock after shock, any ore of which would
have caused the death OF less robust In
diyidual.
Days and weeks went by. and the physl-
clans took new hope. They proposed sur
gical operation, difficult and delicate. which
offered one chance in perhaps thoussnd
of a partial recovery, and which would
death. Duryea. after a consultation with
ris father, cheerfully decided TO take The
chance. He said that il was nothing
against life. and even the most remote
chance was worth taking.
IL was decided that to reduce the pres
sure upon the spinal cord il would be nec-
essary TO remove the laminae OF the hit1
ard sixth ceryical vertebrae. This was
done on September T.. and SO delicate was
-t,af tif1rf= 10.
of the surgeons hardly dared 10 hope that
il would not be followed by death. How
ever. that constitution that already had
stood so much was equal to the task. Dur
yea recovered from the shock. and for
time it was thought that possibly he might
recover to degree the use OF his limbs.
OF this however. there now seems no
chance OF realization.
May Live for Months.
About six weeks ago Mr.. Duryea devel-
oped pneumonia. which was fortuntely OF
light form. From that he recovered. but
only to learn that his spinal cord had be-
come iniiamed, making necessary second
operation. This was not so trying as the
first and did not in any manner threaten
the patients life
Now Duryea occupies a specially con-
structed wheel chair. His neck and upper
body are encased in plaster. outside of
which is a strong leather jacket. y train
ed nurse and a competent physician are al
ways with him or near enough TO render
any service which an emergency might de-
mand. He has few visitors, as il is feared
that their presence might SO excite him
as to cause fever. which is one thing the
doctors most fear. His father sees him
every day and is planning TO take the
young man to his Long Island home Just
as soon as il is thought that he with safety
can be moved. Just at present he has pri-
yate rooms in the hospital annex. on the
first floor. aud as far as possible removed
from the noise of the streets.
Duryea has fairly good appetite and
takes nourishment without difficulty. His
voice is strong and his spirits are some
thing to be wondered at. or late he has
but his mind soon RECEIVERS its equiblibri-
um. He has lost none of his interest in the
outside world and listens to the news
every day. an attendant giving him di-
pest of the contents of the papers. He is
closely following the course of the war in
the Transvaal.
Although he has for several weeks failed
a trifie in strength. his physicians take no
gloomy view of his immediate condition.
They say that he may live for years, though
il is more likely that the natural dissolu-
ton will be more rapid and that his span
of life will be measured by months.
A Verdict of ManslnuEhter.