Year: 1869

~ the lower extremity OF the spine,
on the back, bat they discharged 4
great deal Of matter. There was very
extensive Inflammation. The right
limb was swollen and drOpsical. The
large nerve that supplies vitality to
the right limb and the parts around it
confused.


There were no marks of disease Of
The heart, lungs, stomach, bowels, Iiv-
er or kidneys. The sores on the back,
think, were produced by the eol=
lection of matter about, and in the
neighbOrhood of the wound; and they
had evidently discharged a great deal
Of matter. l think Jesse FUrknef's
death was the result Of the wound.


Cross ExaminatiOn.-Wh sbihHi
eofd is penetrated it produces paraIy-
sis below the wound. A knitting nee
die run through the spinal cord, at
the upper part, would produce death.


l think the injury done to the vef-
zebra in this case, shocked and con-
fused the spinal cord. There was par
tial paralysis and drOpsy of the left
leg, and extensive paralysis of right
leg, which must have been produced
by injury to the spinal cord. 1 found
confusion Of the spinal cord, and the
sheath Of spinal cord discOlOred and
dark. This might have been the re-
5uit Of infammatory action resulting
from the wound.


We traced the ball, after It passed
the vertebra, an inch or inch and a
half beyond the bone. The integus
ments around the right side of the
bone were destroyed. The outer
wound was open when we made the
examination. The matter caused by
the wound could not escape from the
wound, for It accumulated
and had its fountain below the exter-
nal wound. The patient lying on his
back could not have discharged the
matter from the hole at the surface.
The wound was four or five inches
deep; from the Orifce to the center Of
backbone was three inches,


If I were called on in a such case 1
would trust to nature to throw of the
matter. 1 don't think medical skill
could have prevented the forming Of
an abscess or saved FOrkner's life.


We took out three vertebrae (jOintJ
of the back-bone)-the injured one,
and the one above and one below. The
spinal cord was discOlOred as high as
the top vertebra taken out, and very
much discOlored below. There was
matter around the spinal cord. I
don't know whether it got out or not.
The opening in the backbone made
by the wound extended to the sheath
of the spinal column. There was a
passage way from the bulk of matter
to the sore in the back of the hip, and
a passage from the Orifice of the wound
to the fOuntain-head or bulk Of mat
ter in the body. I don't think the
sore on the back was a bed sore, but
think it was OccasiOned by matter in
and from the wound. The appear
anee of Forkner's spine indicated in
jury from violence. / don't think In
jury to the spinal cord was caused by
strain. There was a collection of
Pus in the cavity Of the hip bone, and


down the femOral artery went into


the leg. The pus from the hip came
out at the sore on the hip. I do not


know what became ofthe bullet. We
did not find it. 1 traced the ball un-
der the kidney. I think the ball


might have been broken into frag-


ments and passed into different por-
tions. 1 would be more inclined to
think that the ball was somewhere in
the body Of FOrkner, notwithstanding
our search. A mortal wound is one
that would necessarily result in death.
1 think this was a mortal wound. Aud
all the other diseased conditions Of the
body were the result of the wound.
This wound produced death by n due
ton of vital action and improverish-
ment of the blood and system.


DIR. McNulty.-Was called March
29th, 1868, to visit Jesse FOrkner at
his house, four days after he was
wounded. ] examined him, found
a small hole in his left side, rather in
the back; it appeared like a small bull
let hole. There was partial paralysis
of the extremities and some lOck-jaw;
both legs paralyzed to some extent, but
right leg much the most affected. He
complained of great pain below the
kidneys and slight sickness of stem
ach. There was a pOultice on the
wound when 1 called. took it off.
The wound had a very unhealthy ap-
pearance, and there was a very un-
healthy and offensive emission from
it; not pus or matter, but dark, wa
terry fluid. Ny opinion was that he
was shot, and judging from the Orifce
of the wound it was a small bullet,
perhaps $50 or 160 to the pOund. My
opinion, after examining it, was that
the wound would prove fatal.


treated his case till the 21st of Apr !,
and visited him eight times. I kept
the wound open all the time, but it
did not run free. I examined the
wound Outwardly, and from the way
the man complained I did not think
probing would do any good, and did
not probe it. 1 had him put in yari-
Gus positions, to get the pus TO come out,
and pressed his sides and back, but
could not succeed in getting much out.
He was in a miserable log hut, that
well man could hardly live in. There
was no accommodation for him. I
had him removed to the County Infrm-
ary, and after that L never saw him.
Forkner was a large, well developed
man, wOnld weigh 1856 to 100 pounds,
with a very masculine temp raments
black hair, and dark complexion. His
wife was mulattO, but he was
white man, or nearly so. / never
had seen him till called to treat him
professionally. 1 could not under
stand the reason Of the offensive wa
terry discharge at the wound, and made
particular inquiry as to his general
past health and a Cart ful examination
of his person for traces Of disease. L
found no trace of disease other than
the wound, and was told his general
health was good. Wnen man has
q v,,ornd that forms ms that can IT Get