California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences, Volume 31, Number 19, 3 June 1869 — WONDERFUL SURGICAL OPERATION. [ARTICLE]

WONDERFUL SURGICAL OPERATION.

For a couple of years during the last decade, the attention of visitors lo tho Museum of tbo Medical College, in Boston, was attracted to an iron bar about three and a half (3}) feet long, and about as large rouud as a crow-bar. This object nad an inscription carved upon it, from which in(criptiou, and from tho verbal statement!: which were given to satisfy the curio'ty aroused, it was learned that the bar had been driven through the bead of a man, by the accidental explosion of a charge of blasting powder, and, that this man, so far from being instantly killed by the injury, had recovered from its effects, and was actually walking on this planet, attending to tbe ordinary affairs of life. Such was the outline of a c .»<■ which has become of classic celebrity.

Tbe physician who attended the patient whose cerebral organism had been comparatively so little disturbed by its abrupt and intrusive visitor, was Dr. J. M. Harlow, the writer of the pamphlet we are noticing, and who reported the case in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 39, No. 30. In a foot note to the present pamphlet Dr. Harlow says :

"Soon after the publication of tbia m.« in the Boston Medic tl ar.d Surgical Journal, in Nov. n:bsr, 1848, I received a letter from Dr. Henry J. Bigelow, Professor of Surgery ia the Medical Department of Harvard University, requesting me to lend Gage to Boston, generously proposing to defray bis expenses and compensate him for loss of time. Gage being quite well, and tbe hole in the top of his head entirely closed, accepted tbis proposition, and remained in Boston, ucder the ob. ssrvaliou of Prof. Bigelow, eight or nine weeks, where he was examined by many medical men, Prof. Bigelow being thoroughly convinced, at a time when, tbe accident had very few believers either in the medical profession or out of it, that the lesion was as represented—tbat the iron had traversed the brain and cranium as stated. Wilh my concurrence he reported the case, with illustrations, in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences for July, 1830." Dr. Bigelow having thoroughly investigated tbe case, and satisfied himself of its genuineness, finally succeeded in forcing its authenticity upon the credence of the profession in this city, as could hardly bave been done by any one in whose sagacity and surgical knowledge his eonfrfrei had any less confidence. But for his persistent efforts, we

may assume, with no disrespect to Dr. Harlow,*

the first report of tbo case might have slumbered unnoticed in un old volume of this Journal, and never have secured its rightful placo iv tho annals of surgery—never have been accepted by the medical public, as a record of important facts, to be relied upon by the physiologist and the metaphysician. It was Dr. Bigelow, also, who had the inscription made on the tamping-iron,f and who persuaded tbe patient to allow it to be deposited in the Museum of tbe Medical College. As we learn from Dr. Harlow's pamphlet, the accident occured in Cavendish, Vermont, on tbe 13 h of September, 1848. Tbe subject of it was residing iv California wben he died, which was on the 18th of May, 1861,- between twelve and thirteen years having thus intervenod botwoen the date of the ioj'try nnd bis decease. During a short period before his dealh he had several severe convulsions

Dr. Harlow had the enterprise to obtain the era - niutn and tbe iron bar; and having exhibited tbem at the last annual meeting of the Massachusetts Medical Society, has most generously presented them to the Museum of tbe Medical Department of Harvard University. He alto gives hit obliging assent to our using the blocks which furnished tbe delineations io his paper, as it appeared in the Publications of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and as it is now published in pamphlet form. It is thus tbat we bave come by tbe woodcuts in tbo frontispiece of our present numbe.*. The pamphlet describes the original accident, and lhe wounded parts from tbe outset; also tbe course of the case, and the treatment till recovery. It further gives a sketch of the subsequent history of the patient; aud concludes wilh a description of the external and internal post mortem appearances of tbe cranium — Boston Mcd and Surg, Journ. for April. * The accident happened, it should be remem bered, more than twenty years ago, when Dr. Harlow did not reside in thit State.

tAn implement used iv blasting. Itwastubtequently reclaimed by tbe patient.

Bnixr Will.—A man recently died in New Orleans, leaving one of the briefest wills on record. It consisted of fire words, ' Mrs. Roper is my heiress"—witb a codicil of four or five words more.— He then folded the sheet j staling in an indorsement tbat it wat Lis will, to be opened only it case of his death, and to be executed by a certain named person, and tbat a copy of it was In tbe bands of his heiress. This will was contested in the courtt, but itt legality wat sustained.

Cast Irok vs. Shut Irom roa Stovis.—General Morin related some comparative experiments which had been performed by M. Carret, end which, be said, corroborates bis theory. Thus after having remained one hour in a room heated to 40" (centigrade) by means of a sheet iron store, M. Caret perspired abundantly, got a good appetite, but felt no sickness whatever; he had obtained the same result with an earthenware stove but the experiment, when performed during only one half hour wilh a oast iron stove, bad brought on intense headache and sickness — London Lan eet.

—A wealthy gentleman In New York died recant ly of the glanders. Ha caught th* disease from a favorite horse. This is tha fourth death of a human being from glanders, since the organisation of tha New York Board of Health.