WONDERFUL VITALITY.

Kumara Times, Issue 1073, 9 March 1880, Page 4

WONDERFUL VITALITY.

The medical and surgical fraternity of Paterson, N.J., are at present greatly excited over what they declare to be the moat astonishing case of tenacity of life ever witnessed. A boy about fifteen years of age had his skull nearly sawn in two by a circular saw recently, and though the wound penetrated several inches into the brain, cutting it nearly to the base, the unfortunate sufferer is not only alive, but conscious. The case is being watched with the utmost interest by a number of physicians, and the actions of the patient are taken down with the greatest minuteness, as the case is altogether without parallel. The particulars are as follows:—one recent afternoon, John MTSvoy, a lad in the employ of the Wrigley Machine Company, was sent to the Watson Manufacturing Company’s works to get some sawdust for use in making cast iron patterns. Arriving at the works he found the circular saw not in use, and as the sawdust was somewhat scarce he crept into the box used as a stand for the saw. While he was engaged there in gathering together the sawdust the employee in charge of the saw returned and prepared to resume his work by placing the belt on the block. He had hardly done this before an agonizing scream was heard from beneath the saw, and the next instant a hat was thrown forward by the saw. The belt was at once thrown off and the lad released from his position. His face was covered with blood. Dr Garnett was summoned and soon ascertained that the lad’s head had been cut into by the saw. The wound extended from the side of the right nostril through to the back of the head. Evidently the saw had nearly cut the brain into two parts, and the first exclamation of the physician, upon ascertaining the extent of the wound, was, “ It is a miracle that he was not picked up dead.’ The lad in the meantime never lost consciousness, but had inquired in a clear voice what the chances of his recovery were. He was at once taken to the Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy. On the way there he fell into a comatose condition, which, however, lasted only about five minutes. Having made him as comfortable as possible, Dr Garnett left him, informing the nurses in charge that death would ensue in the course of an hour. To the astonishment of Dr Garnett and other physicians who were at once called in, the lad was still alive and apparently considerably better next morning. It was then concluded to enter upon a closer examination of the wound, Drs Marsh and Quin, the oldest and most experienced surgeons in Paterson, were selected to perform the task. It had been suggested that the saw had turned the head around, and that thus only the outer walls of the skull had been severed. This notion was, however, completely dissipated by the examination. The wound presented a ghastly sight. The tissues of the scalp had contracted, leaving exposed a surface of white skull two inches wide and eight long. Through the centre of this ran a cut through the walls of the skull, nearly as long as the wound and fully a fourth of an inch in width. Into the centre of this Dr Marsh introduced a probe. The descent of the instrument was watched with anxious curiosity by those assembled. A quarter of an inch, half an inch, a full inch, an inch and a half, two inches, the steel barb descended into the orifice and was then withdrawn. The doctor had not ascertained the depth of the wound, as he feared if he probed deeper that such a course would be apt to irritate the brain and produce death. "The physicians were, however, satisfied that the brain had been cut to its base. The patient stood the examination without wincing, and apparently did not suffer as much pain as during the previous evening. The sight of the right eye is entirely destroyed, and the left eye-ball protrudes from its socket on account of the severing of some of its nerves. The left arm was paralysed, but with these exceptions the patient seemed to be in a normal condition, Towards evening yesterday he sank into a slumber, his respiration being oasy and regular. A number of physicians are continually at his bedside watching his every movement. At a late hour last night he was still alive.