The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-03
CASE OF BROKEN NECK.
II Is Similar to That OF Oscar Olson
Of Rapidan.

of Rapidan.
| From Saturdays Daily.
In view of the case of Olof Olson of
Rapidan who is suffering with a broken
neck and yet doing nicely and may re-
cover, the account of similar case in
st. Louis will not be uninteresting to
Free Press readers. The following is
from The st. Louis Globe Democrat:
With his neck broken, a portion of
the spinal cord injured and his entire
body below the neck paralyzed, Clarence
Martin, a youth of eighteen years, smiles
cheerfully as he talks to nurses, physi-
clans and to his mother, who is constant
ly at his bedside at the Centenary hos
pital, 2939 Lawton avenue. The acct
dent in which the youths neck was
broken occurred near Milan, ILL.,, on July
IL. He was hurried to st. Louis on a
special train and taken to the hospital.
DIR. Pinckney French, chief of the sur
geons who have been in charge of the
patient, stated yesterday that it was
record, both on account of the nature of
the break, which is in the fourth and
fifth cervical vertebrate, and the fact
that the phrenic nerve, which controls
the respiratory movements of the dia-
phragm and which leaves the spinal cord
Just above the break, remained unin
jured. The fact that the break did not
affect this nerve, even though it paralyz-
ed every other portion of the body below
the neck, saved the youth from instant
death.
The young man is a splendid specimen
of physical manhood, weighing nearly
200 paunds, and is of powerful build. He
was at the bottow of twenty eight
foot trench, directing the work of some
laborers, when large mass of earth cav
ed in from the side of the trench, fall
ing on his head The head was bent
forward and the neck broken.
Immediately after the accident his un
Gle had him sent to st. Louis. Doctors
Pinckney French, A r. Kiefer ard Paul
Y. Upper at once took charge of the
case as consulting surgeons. Every pre-
caution has been taken to keep the pa
tient in the best physical condition. A
special pneumatic mattress was secured,
and the body is sponged with alcohol
daily. a r
DR.. T. B. Mansfield of the hospital and
the other physicians superintendent the
taking of X-ray pictures. Two of the
plates were unusually clear and showed
the fractures clearly. The plates show
that the fifth cervical vertebrae is
crushed and split.
The spinal cord which runs through
the vertebrate was partially crushed by
the homes. Dr. Mansfield said yester-
day that the outcome of the case de-
pended entirely on the amount of in
jury done to this cord.
Mrs. Martin, who has remained almost
constantly at the bedside of her son, is
greatly encouraged by his cheerfulness.
His neck and head are held rigid and
are packed in ice. A plaster east was
not used in this case OH account of the
fever. He talks to the nurses and his
mother and gave the physicians a detail
ed account of the accident
DIR. C. NJ. Ament of DIR. T. B. Mans
field, attending surgeons in the case, are
much encouraged over the boys condi
ton. They state that the injury is one
of the worst of its kind to treat on ac
count of is proximity to the brain.
The fact that he can now move his feet
slightly shows that the spinal cord is
not entirely destroyed, and leads the
physicians to believe that the young
man will recover the use of a portion of
his body at least.