Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-17
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JANUARY IL. 1909

then regained consciousness and began rapid con-
valescence, the wound healing slowly but without
any unpleasant complications. For awhile the
patients mental activity was sluggish, though never
erratic and at the end of three months he was dis
charged cured and returned to his home IN Fort
Leavenworth Kansas. No special credit was due
to the surgical treatment he had received Tor this
marvellous recovery, there really was nothing
much to do beyond the usual technc in the care OF
suppurating wounds 1t was simply that the man
refused to die for him such wound was not fatal.
although gunshot wound directly through the
brain is classified among fatal wounds, There was
nothing extraordinary in the mans physique as
far could learn he had always received his share
of i'll health, was not specially robust, and the
wound was of a sort in which mental authority
could play part, as the man was UNCONSCIOUS
during the critical part of his condition.
In the same ward / had young boy about
eighteen wears old who had been caught in a cross
fire during fight which accompanied one OF the
attempts on the part of the Fipnos to burn Manila
This patient had four different gunshot wounds,
which included fracture of the femur and also as
l recall the case fracture of the humerus All of
the wounds suppuratng from the start. and
the boys blood was at first filled with malar,al
parasites. He had no physique to speak of; but he
did have an invincible spirit and calmly and smi-
ingly declined to die
The Surgeons Bette Noir
ONE might go on indefinitely to cite cases OF mar
~ velous vitality; every hospital has its long list
of them. Much more rare are the cases where death
as minor injury, and where careful post mioreD,
examination has failed to reveal anything that
would warrant so feeble hold on the vital spark
This condition is most often due to what is known
in surgery " shock, word less descriptive OF
than effect The fatal result of surgical shock
is one of those disastrous conditions that some
times strikes down like thunderbolt from clear
sky to overwhelm with grief and dlsmay the family
of the victim and bring upon the surgeon an unde-
served discredit. 1t is the catastrophe that has
resulted in that grim wittiCism. The operation
successful-but the patient died.
This condition of shock that results in apparently
unwarran able death not confined to operations.
1t must be remembered that it is likely to follow
any minor injury to person whose vitality IS not
up to the normal. While vitality has wide range
of difference in different individuals, it undoubtedly
fluctuates at different periods in the life of the
individual. Healthy babies are born with lot Of
life in them" and almost everybody has sometime
been surprised at the tenaclty OF lite displayed by
Young infants whom naturally regards
in the material world, as extremely fragile little
creatures. Nature, apparently understanding the
ordeals through which very young children must
pass before becoming adapted to the foreign
roundnes of a strange world has stored them full
of life which to draw during their early encoun
tiers with such enemies as improper food, hostile
germs INEQUALITIES of temperature, and the like.
When the c.d is about half grown. much lower
degree of vitality is reached. which endures for
good many years. until maturity permits the organ-
cation to rest and renew its vigor
l recall the of little girl of about twelve
years who had always been fairly healthy child
and in the habit of running and romping with the
youngsters of her acquaintance. One summer day.
while rowing about a mill pond with two of her
friends she fell overboard but was hauled out be-
fore she had time to nhale enough water to become
unconscious In few minutes, however, she
1apsed into a state of semlcoma and died. No
adequate organic arrangement was found that
would account for the catastrophe, and sudden
functional failure of the heart to respond to its duty
so after all SCIENTIFIC X