Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-23
L
THE DEATH OF KERhS
THOUGHT THAT YOUTH FELL FROM
HORIZONTAL BAR.
In is AN INTERESTING CASE.
nut Doctor. Do Not Consider 1t Re-
mnrl>ab1c-onc OF the Physicians
Discusses This and Like Injuries
of the Brain.
THOUGHT THAT YOUTH FELL FROM
Il is AN INTERESTING CASE.
But Doctors Do Not Consider 1t Re-
Discusses This and Like Injuries
Of the Brain.

The funeral OF young FRANK j.. I>elilS.
Jr, who died early Sunday morning at
the Virginia Hospital, took place at $3.50
o clock yesterday afternoon from Centen-
airy Methodist church. The services We're
conducted by Dr. w. w. Lear and Dr.
w. Y. Tudor. The interment was made
in lakewood Cemetery.
Doubt developed yesterday that young
Kerns received his injury yesterday while
playing at basket ball. One of the at
tending physicians. who made further IN
quiry on this point during the day, told
a Dispatch reporter last night that he
had learned from two sources that kerns
fell from horizontal bar and struck his
head. This, he said. would account 1or
the nature of the injury, which the doc
tors could not reconcile with the state
ment that the boy had struck his head
against post.
Secretary Mckee. of the Young Mems
Christian Association, said last night that
no Official inquiry had been made to as
certain exactly how kerns was hurt. a
memorial service will be held at the
Young Mems Christian Association Sun
day.
INTERESTING; NOT REMARKABLE.
one Of the physicians who attended
young Kerns, whose sad death from an
accidental rupture of a blood vessel on
the brain was recorded in Sundays DIS
patch, was asked yesterday if there was
anything remarkable or unusual about
the manner of his death. He replied
that there was not, it being only the
rupture Of a blood vessel such as might
occur with an old person in apoplexy, In
which case it would be termed idlopa-
THO. but in this case, the rupture having
been due to injury from an external
blow. it would be termed traumatic.
THE most interesting feature OF TINS
rupture is in the fact that it occurred at
10 o'clock in the morning and symptoms
of brain compression did not come on
until night. The eXplana ton Of this is
that it was a. small blood vessel and not
enough blood sscared at first to pros
duce pressure symptoms. 1t had TO col
rect little by little until the clot pro-
duced compression, and then the boy be-
came unconscious.
THE interval Of consciousness between
the time Of receiving the injury and the
time when the patient becomes uncon
scious is the key to the diagnosis. and
enables the doctor to ascertain that it is
due to the rupture of a blood vessel and
the gradual outpour Of the blood on the
BRAIN which produces the pressure sEmp-
toms.
EACH CONTROLS A FUNCTION.
another Interesting feature in this con-
nection is that every square inch of the
brain presides over some function of the
body, some limb, muscle or physical or
gan, and the site in the brain at which
the blood is poured out and pressing is
known by the disturbance of that func-
ton or muscle or organ. AS. for instance,
loss of speech or sense Of sight from in
jury to the brain, or paralysis of an arm
or leg-al Indicate the point at which
the brain is injured. and enables the sur
Seon unerringly to locate and operate at
the right point.
II don't think it would have made any
difference in tho result in the case OF
young kerns if d doctor could have been
called in at the outset. but there are cases
almost commonly occurring where life
or health or reason might be saved It the
seriousness of an injury to the brain
| could be realized and prompt action
taken.
THIS IS a TRUlSM.
"The saving of a great surgeon that
there is no injury to the brain so slight
that it may not be serious. and. on the
ott;sr hand none so serious that the
patient may not recover from 1t. has
become a trufsn in the experience OF the
profession.
"A mistake that many mothers and
others make when such injuries are sus-
| tanned is in letting the child run about
| and I have even known cases IN "nlch
| the child has been forced to keep awake
when quiet and sleep are the very rene
| dies which nature prescribes IN such
cases.
..As T have said. similar Instances OF
| iniurv to the brain are not nearly as un-
| common as people suppose. Physicians
| are quite familiar with great variety
| of cases in their practice which. when
not fatal may result in different ahlic-
| tions such as epilcptic fits, insanity. etc.
.It would be well therefore to impress
upon the public the Importance or tlmeiE
| attention being given to such Injuries. as
| tho clot of blood which is formed ana
| causes the trouble may be safely and
| successfully relnedied if treated i'll time