Year: 1859

Injuries OF the Brain nOtaIways FataI.


Tue New York Essai1g Post. noticing the death Of


FIBaISIA STEWART from ballet wound in the head


says the popular nctOa t. the almost necessarily


fatal character of wounds of the brain is greatly


exaggerated Oae. The trags5y Of the GoUrDY fami-


IN New York, last fall whea six persons had been


murderously struck through the skull into the very


substance of she brain, With Ratchet, and yet all


but one survived heir Injuries, is sill fresh in mem
DRY. Probably the force, suddeuRsss aud Madness


with which The blows we're inflicted. ana the shsrp-
ness Of the instrument, contributed not IttIe Ia
their escape from instant or early dissolution. A


bullet though making wound not looking 80 uolv.
would produce greater amount Of displacement
and laceratioH, and henoe subsequent inflammation.
BlOHs il is probable, inflicted with OaIy half the
herceness and violence, might have produced worse
fractures OF the Uranium than the rapidly dealt
strokes Of the young madmsn. Thus, pistol bullet
may pass through window without cracking the
edges around the hole, while spent ball or stone
coming With half the force will shivsr the glass in
every direction.


Nature seems to be especially capiicioas in rela


iOn TO the effects induced in wounds Of the brain.
slight fall a trif ng blow, without breaking the
skn will prove fatal in short time; and yet in 9TH
er instances. the skull will be pierced or fractured
large pieces Of skull-bons viii be removed as bv
trepanning. and a considerable portion of the
eerebrum or upper brain be lost, and yet the vital
functions will continue apparently little disturbed
for many years. man may lose several ounces of
the neurine without daaIh, or even the Suspension
Of the intellect. But the slightest wound inflicted
on the csrsbelllm or loWer brain, or on the medula
Oblongata, produces immediate death. Possibly
the brain as organ of the mind, operates as a
whole. The mind itself is whole and entire euti-
V independent of the brain, its organ of operation


A few years ago man, in blasting exploded his
charge too soon by rsnming it down with an iron
bar or drill. The drill was driven up clear through
the roof of his mouth, through the BRAIN Of course
and through the top of his skull high up into the
air The man eoOlly stepped into wagon standing
near, and drove some distance hOms No enc sup
posed he could live; but he actually did survive
without injury to the intellect.


Some years ago well-digger, sixty years Of age.
received a fracture sf the skull by the fall of a
heavy timber on his head, when at the bottom of
well. He was taken out insensible, and so re-
msined for ten days, his death being hourly expect
ed TrePaning was then performed he lost in the
operation q considerable portion of brain Yet he
recovered his mind, and became strong enough to
walk about the room. A new bone actually com
menced to grow, small piece Of which extended
downward into the BRAIN produced irritation and
pressure, finally resulting in DEATH eighteen months
after the occurrence Of the accident


Il is not the loss Of the substance of the brain
that is to be feared SO nuchss it is the resulting
irritation and inhsmnstiOn. Congestion may pro-
duce stupor, and hemOrrhage may cause death. But
the abstraction of considerable portion of the eere-
brum though perhaps subtractiDg from the nervous
forces and the power of endurance, does not seem
to be necessary occasion of fatal results, or even
impairment of mental activity


But pressure upon the brain, seems always to
produce dsordered action, whether occssioned By
external injury of internal determination of blood
whenever it comes to prevent free supply and con-
final h1W Of healthy blood through all the vessels
of the brain, mental action speedily assumes dis
ordered character. Often the removal Of this Tres
sure is succeeded by sud len restoration Of the intel
iectual functions. case is on record Of a sailor
whose skull had been fractured and deeply indent-
ed for three years, producing all that time per-
feet oblivion Of the memory snd senses, who was
restored to instant consciousness and mental activ
ty by the removal of the bose under the trepanning
operation. a question might be propounaed,
whether the peeulisries aud eccsniricities almost
abnormal, of many men, may not be results Of con-
gesion Of portions of the brain, to an extent be-
yond what has ever been imagined