BUSHMAN'S FATAL RIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 176, 30 August 1909, Page 4

BUSHMAN'S FATAL RIDE.

DIFFICULT BRAIN OPERATION. A TRAGIC SEQUEL. Some time ago a man named Gilmore sustained a severe cut on the 6ide of lbs head while working in the bush in the Ohura Valley, and he was carried many miles on a stretcher to meet the doctor, who had been notified and was on his way out from Ongarue. By candle-light, in a bush where, Dr. Rowlands performed an operation. Portion of the brain matter was protruding, and this was cut away. Later, it was repbrted that Gilmore had made a rcmarknbic recovery within a very short period after the operation, and was in full possession of his mental faculties, despite the ioss of portia n of the brain matter. The sequel, however, was a tragic one. Ever since Gilmore recovered he had > been worrying about his section, and ot ■ last Dr. Rowlands consented to Gilmoi*' riding out to the .section, providing htj walked his horse the whole way, and the < doctor impressed upon him the need for j extreme care. The moment Gilmore got) away, however, lie flung all prudence aside and galloped after two horses, and tried to lead them to Ongarue. o"ie broke away, and he returned over, the rough bush tracks on a rough-travel-ling pony. It -was 9 o'clock on the following night that he returned to Ongarue, and he stayed up till II p.m. in a billiard saloon, then confessing he felt "cronlc." He grew steadily worse, and on the following day was delirious. Although an operation was performed to relieve the prensure on the brain, the patient gradually sank till death ensued. Examining the brain after death, the doctor found that the torn membranes had firmly healed, and would effectually shut off any spread of infection from the wound to the forain. The brain itself, where it had been lacerated a* the time of the accident, had healed; but all that side of the organ was in a state of acute inflammation, beyond any doubt resulting from the shaking nnd injury of the fragile newly-joined tissue by galloiping, rough riding, etc. If Gilmore had followed the doctor's advice he would have made a perfect recovery. It is scarcely necessary to add that, after the success of the difficult first operation, the fatal ending of the «ase was a great disappointment to the doetor, who had taken such a deep interest in the patient.