New-York tribune., 1905-11-24
BLOWS KILLED BRANCH.
TESTIMONY OF DOCTORS.
.Sap Fight scath Merispether Vas
Direct Cause of Death.

snnaooIfs Nd Nov 2s-The prosecution
used its heavy artillery in the line OF meoical
testimony at to-days session of the court
martial which is trying Midshpman Mer1"ethel
for n1a1.slaughfer, In connection with the oesei
of Nidshipmsn Branch important witnesses
being DR.. j. N. T. Finney, chief surgeon OF lne
Johns Hopkins University. Of Baltimore Dr.
Hen-v M. Thomas, neurologist of the same in
stitution. and J. C.. Byrnes the chieI rheoiceA
ofHcer attached to the naval academy.
THE oneration upon Midshipnaan Brancn, con-
sistinr of lifting and folding over portion OF
.be skull to remove such blood clots as might
f,s formed was performed by DR. flhhey' anu
,- Thomas the specialist in the lfne' came 10
Annanoiis at DR.. Finney's request to fho from
the SYMPTOMS the proper place for the opera
zion. Dr. Byrnes was called In consultation
with DR.. Stone shortly after Branch hao Oeeh
brought to the hospital
Much evidence of deeply interesting, though
sometimes technical. character was given by
.be medical men. One point of interest brought
o,t In exclamation of the fact that the skull
was opened on the right SIDE although the
naraIvsis appeared on the left side Of the body,
was that the nerves controlling one side of the
body cross from the opposite side of the BRAIN
while the nerves controlling the facial muscles
do not.
IT was further brought out that the injury
though on the right side, was occasioned by sue
cessive fist blows the left side Of the head
The injury was of the nature medically known
as "Contre-coup." the blows to the skull on
one side OF the head having the effect OF fore
ing the brain against the walls of skull on the
other side, and causing the compression IN that
way.
CERTAIN BLOWS KILLED HIM.
All the medical officers gave it as their positive
conviction that Branch died from the effect Of
the blows he had received in his fight with Merf-
wether The cross-examination was for the pur-
nose of nrovins that death might have been due
~ organic weakness in Branch or to the un-
skilled treatment he received from his friends
after the fight and the delay In giving him into
the care of the physicians However. the physl-
clans testified most positively that 1t was thelr
,,rofessional opinion that the blows and nothing
else had contributed to his death. The medlcaI
witnesses also belittled any possible enect OIL
the treatment Branch received after the nght'
snd gave it as their opinion that no treatment
could have saved his life
surgeon F. P Stone, of the Naval Academy
staff who was the first medical of11cers 10 see
Branch after he had received his injuries. gave
detailed account of Branch's symptoms MS treat
ment and the changes in his condition leading
nm IN his death. The death, he said was pri-
marilv due to oedema Of the vessels OF the
brain though this was not disclosed by the
operation. and no autopsy was performed, as
Branch's parents would not consent
The cross-examination of DR.. Stone by Lieu
tenant Commander Robson, counsel for the de-
fence was very searching and several mem
hers of the court also asked questions on diff
ferent phases Of DR. Stones testimony The
defence evidently wished to raise a doubt as
IN the positiveness of the proof that Branch's