Page:A descriptive catalogue of the Warren Anatomical Museum.djvu/173

 food freely, and in about three weeks from the time of the accident he ate voraciously. A pint of whiskey was given daily for the first five days, and on the 19th reaction com- menced, with a pulse of 80. If he did not want food or whiskey, he would roll over and turn away. For six weeks the discharges from the bowels and bladder were involun- tary. In seven weeks he sat up, and in one more he walked about a little. The right hand he used somewhat, but less well than the left. For about ten months after the accident his memory for some things was nearly lost, but during the next two months there was a considerable, im- provement.

When he was first seen, a probe, 4 in. in length, was passed into each of the wounds as far as it would reach, and without obstruction ; and the chief point in the treat- ment consisted in the frequent passage of the probe, with a view to keeping the openings perfectly free. During the first ten days the probe was passed its whole length, and daily. If the orifices, and especially the posterior one, were at any time obstructed by a plug of brain, the coma would very much increase ; and by shaving it off repeat- edly, and passing the probe, the relief would often be very great. The discharge from the back wound was very con- siderable ; and, as it became quite offensive, injections of chlorate of potash were frequently used. On the sixth day there was a slight ptyalism, and this Drs. J. and I. thought may have tended to prevent secondary inflamma- tion.

Dr. Jewett visited Boston with the patient, at the invita- tion of Dr. Bigelow, and kindly presented to him the gas- pipe, and transferred to him the case, with liberty to make such use of it as he should see fit. Dr. B. exhibited the patient, with the gas-pipe, to the Mass. Medical Society, at their annual meeting in June, 1868, and then added the pipe to his collection in this museum ; the cast being taken subsequently. The man appeared to be in a good state of general health ; and, though his mental powers were considerably impaired, there was nothing unusual in his expression, nor would there be noticed, in a few minutes' conversation with him, any marked deficiency of intellect.

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