STRANGE BUT TRUE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

STRANGE BUT TRUE.

In a very entertaining work entitled Random Shots by a liijlaman, written by the late Captain Kincaid of the old 95th Bsgiment — then the Rifle Brigade — there is a story told which at my first perusal appeared to possess many of the qualities contained in those amusing fictions narrated by Baron Munchhausen. Later, however, on becoming better acquainted with the author, I felt convinced he had been detailing facts ; and of this I received unexpected proof in after-life, i regret I have not Captain Kincaid's work at hand ; but, to the best of my recollection, the author's story ran somewhat as follows : In one of the many actions in which our troops were engaged under Wellington during the Peninsular War, an officer had one of the laige muscles of his neck which support the head severed by a Frenchman's bullet. The wound soon healed, and the injured officer suffered from it little inconvenience beyond that of having to carry his head rather drooping to the one side. At the battle of Waterloo this officer was also present, and was again wounded in the neck by a bullet, which, strange to* say, cut through the opposite muscle of his neck supporting his head ; and thus tho second rectified the mischief done by the first bullet ; and as p. matter of fact, the officer's head wa3 set straight upon his shoulders. When writing the above story, Captain Kincaid was apparently fully aware of it 3 improbable nature ; and in justice to himseif, adds : " I would not have dared to repeat this story, were not the wounded officer alive at the time of my writing, and ready to corroborate the same." Captain Kincaid then proceeds to give the officer's name, together with that of his residence ; both of which I at present forget, but which are to be found in Random SJwts. I may say here that I was not in the habit of repeating the above story ; for although I . felt perfect faith in Captain Kinoaid's veraoity, ! I could not but fear there might be those ■ who would doubt my own. It happened, ; however, in the year 1847 that 1, when quartered at Sheffield, attended a yeomanry dinner, during the course of which the conversation turned upon the subject of remarkable wounds ; and on this occasion I was j tempted to add Captain Kinoaid's story to t others almost equally startling. As I had ! expected, I noticed that the story was received ; with incredulous smiles, the further development of which politeness alona prevented. I could not follow Captain Kincaid's example and give the name of the wounded officer, nor the place of his residence ; I had forgotten both ; and I felt myself rapidly sinking in the esteem of the company, when, to my surprise and delight, one of the yeomanry officers present — a gentleman almost a perfect atranger to me, but well known to the rest of the company — remarked in a distinct j voice across the table : " You have told that story very well, sir. There is, however, one fact of importance you have omitted to mention, namely, that in consequence of both the muscles of the neck having been injured, the head of the gentleman, although straight, has very much sunk on to his shoulders. He is* a friend of mine, and well known to others in this neighborhood, and* at present resides within ten miles of this lown." The yeomanry officer thea repeated the name and residence of the wounded officer, thus corroborating Captain Kincaid. The second story I wish to relate is as follows : — On first joining my regiment in the Bombay Presidency, 1 was, like most young men, very desirous of an opportunity of hunting large game ; and in order that I might not behave myself like a thorough " griff" on my first interviewjwith the denizens of .the Indian jungles, 1 proceeded to study all works treating on the subject of ahikaar which came in my way. Amongst others, I became much interested in a book written by Major Forbes, then of the 78th Highlanders, and which was styled Ten Years' Residence in Gay lon. At the time to I refer, my xaginjeni was brigaded with the Boss-shire Buffs, and I was not unfrequently brought into contact with Major Forbej both at the messtable and on duty, TToon learnd to esteem this officer both as an excellent soldier and as a fine specimen of the Scottish gentleman, one who under no circumstances would wilfully utter or propagate aniuntruth. In the book above referred to, Major Forbes gives a pleasantly written description of manyparts of the Ibland of Ceylon, interlarded occasionally with interesting anecdotes, connected with the pursuit of large game. Amongst other stories,- the author details one which, had I not been personally acquainted with Major Forbes, I shpuld irf all probability have soon forgotten,'

or remembered only as one of those fictions ao frequently narrated in order to impart a racinesa to an otherwise dull book. The story as given by Major Forbsa ran, to the best of my recollection, much as follows. An officer belonging to one of the regiments then stationed in Ceylon, had with "him, when on an excursion hunting wild elephants, an old-fashioned single- barrelled gun of the pattern in vogue before the introduction of the ] patent breech. To this old-fashioned fowlingpiece, there was no breech block, but the near part of the barrel was secured by a tongue of iron, which overlapped, and which was screwed in to the upper face of the stock. On the present occasion, this old-fashioned weapon, on being fired, burst, and a large portion of the iron which formed the breech, together with the tongue and screw which connected the barrel to the stock, was forcibly driven into his head. Major Forbes- adds that this officer, badly wounded as he was, survived ten years, and lived with this lump of iron in his head without suffering any inconvenience ; and that he afterwards died from the effects of fever. Thu3 far from Major Forbes book. In the year 1849, it happened that in company with a brother-officer, and under the guidance of one of the senior medical officers at Fort Pitt, I was inspecting the Museum connected with that Hospital. Suddenly, my eyes lighted on an object of which I had not been "thinking for many years, but which I at once recognised as the breech of the old gun so accurately described by the author of Pen Years 1 Residence in Ceylon. In order that there might be no mistake, I inquired of the doctor whether he knew anything of the history connected with it. " That," said he, "is the model of the breech of a gun, the original of which was cut out from the head of a deceased officer in Ceylon, after it had been embedded in it during ten years of his life." Here was corroborated number one of Major Forbes story. A few years later, I happened to be strolling on the parade-ground at Lahore, and in company with the surgeon of the 96th Eegiinent, I was conversing on the subject of the wonderful reoovery made from gunshot and other wounds. Bemembering that my companion had served for a considerable time in Ceylon, I inquired whether he had ever heard of the extraordinary case mentioned by Major Forbe3, of an officer living for ten years with the breech of a gun lodged in his head. To my astonishment, he replied: " Not only have I heard of the case, but I was, moreover, at the time very much ooncernea with it. I happened to be," he continued, "in the immediate neighborhood when the occurrence took place ; and the wounded man was brought to me first for medical advice and treatment. lat once recommended that the block of iron should be cut out ; but as at that time I was a young assistant-sur-geon, the officer hesitated to accept my .idvice, and requested he might be taken in to the nearest station, there to see and consult with the surgeon of his own regiment. This surgeon was rather behind the age in the bcience of operations, and pronounced it as his opinion that there was le^s danger to be apprehended in permitting the iron to remain in the wounded man's head than in the making any attempt to extract it." My friend the surgeon of the 96 th went on to say : " 1 remained in Ceylon for many years after this accident, and I may say watched the result. The wounded officer continued to enjoy very fdir health, and to perform duty with his regiment for upwards of ten years. "His death occurred in the following manner : An officer belonging to the same regiment was about to proceed to England on sick-leave, in fact suffering from a disease of the lungs. On the eve of the day of his departure, this officer found himself at a late hour at the mess-table in company with the man who had survived for so many years the accident occasioned by the bursting of his gun. These two were the only occupants of che mess-table, and had, there is little doubt, imbibed more wine than was good for them. Somehow, in drinking parting bumpers, they lapsed from the maudlin into the quarrelsome state, and began the one to twit the other with his infirmities. At last he of the weak lunga being stung by some remark from I his companion regarding the delicacy of his | chest, backed himself to shout the louder and ! the longer of the two. This challenge was accepted. The contest had, however, not I long continued, when, with a hand pressed to his temples, the man with trfe wound in his head rose up from the table and staggered off to his quarters. That night he became very ill; and in three days the man who had I for the last ten years of his life carried a lump of iron in his head almost with impunity, succumbed to an attaok of brain-fever. After death his head was opened ; and it was then , discovered that this lump of iron had been slowly but surely working its way towards the brain, from which it had latterly only been separated by a thin skin or membrane. In his insane exertions to compete in noise with .his weak-chested companion on the night mentioned, he had ruptured this mcml brane. The iron coming into contact and 1 pressing upon the brain, had produced braini fever, from which the unfortunate man died within three days. Here my friend concluded his narrative, and completed a full corroboration of Major Forbes story.