Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-10
X-Ray Photographs Taken in
Mrs. Cammack' Case Show
Severed Spine
BULLET is NOT VET LOCATED
Was Thought That Ball Was Causing
Pressure on Spine, Resulting in the
ParaIytic Condition, But Such Proves
Not the Case-Wounds Are Inevit-
ably Fatal.
ably Fatal.

Mrs. sherman r.. Cammack. of Pu-
eblo, COL, who was shot three times
by her husband. who then committed
suicide, may linger for weeks, but can
| physicians who have made an N-ray
examination of the woman's case. and
from photographs learn that the spinal
| column was severed by one of the
balls sent crashing into the young
woman's body.
1t was believed that one of the bull
lets had lodged against the spine, and
that the paralytic condition that has
resulted from the woman's injuries was
due to the pressure. The N-ray pho
tographs, however. show that the spine
was severed, and that the bullet. which
was not shown in the photographs, is
probably lodged in the tissues below
the chest.
The Pueblo S~tar-Journal of Friday
has the following to say concerning the
examination made by the physicians,
and the patents conditions:
LAS the result of an N-ray eXamina-
ton made this morning by DIR. Crum
Epler, the physicians attending Mrs.
Lucy Gardner Cammack now entertain
practically no hope of her recovery, al
tho they state that she may yet linz
O,. for. ca,-nrn1 upakc While he lnrn-
ton of the bullet was not discovered,
it not being within the area of the
body covered by tho examination,
which included the entire chest sec
ton, the fact was learned that in its
course the bullet entirely severed he
spinal cord, and this fact practically
precludes the possibility Of recovery.
1.-The plates used, were 11x14 inches,
and four X-ray photographs We're TAX
en-, covering practically the same sec
ton of the body but from different
positions. The photographs showed
that small sections of the bullet had
adhered to the spinal column-these
being mere fragments-but that tie
ball itself had passed beyond and is
now probably imbedded in h muscles
of the back. below the chest.
"The wound caused a distinct curva-
ture of the spine, and it is the severlpg
of the spinal cord which IS responsible
for the condition of paralysis that pre-
walls. DIR. Haruff stated that no other
been hoped that pressure of the bullet
upon the spinal column. thus causing
the paralysis. would be found. in which
case an operation for the extraction
of the bullet would have been UNDER
taken. 1t having been found that no
such pressure exists. but that the spin
al cord is severed. the doctors are not
at present concerned over the Local
ton of the bullet, as there will be no
operation.
Quietly and without its becoming
generally known that anything unus-
ual was being done in the case of Mrs.
Cammack, DR.. Haruff notified DR.. Ep-
Ter to be ready to make the X-ray eN-
animation. The ambulance of Nc
Mahon & Collier took Mrs. Cammack
from the st. Mary's hospital at 11:15
O'Clock and drove slowly to the office
of DR.. Epler at Nc. 206 West Fourth
street, arriving there at 1850. Mrs.
Cammack, very much wasted from her
experiences. and lying upon a
portable cot, was tenderly and careful
ly lifted from the ambulance by DR..
Haruff, the hospital inferno. and the
ambulance attendants and carried into
DR.. Epler's office. where he big N-ray
machine was ready and all needful
preparations had been made.
"Mrs. Cammack's face was wax-like
in its w%hiteness, and her form. lying
upon the cot, appeared so slight that
a bystander Remarked: Poor little
I wonder what they are going
to do to ito She made a movement
of uneasiness and in a thin voice COM
planned of restlessness as she was be-
borne into the office.
""There. Were few people on the street
ear DR.. Epler's office at the time. and
those that We're there did not know
that the woman who has been the
subject OF more talk than n other
person in Pueblo during the past week,
was undergoing an examination. Ac-
companying the ambulance were DR..
Haruff, DIR. Blissard, the hospital in
terne, and ]. A. Mccartney, a friend
Of Mrs. Cammack from the east. The
taking of the X-ray photograph occu-
pied about half an hours time, and by
12:45 O'Clock the ambulance, with the
Sufferin9 woman again inside. was on