anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第178部分

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　of　the　right　humerus。　There　was　high　delirium　followed　by　imbecility　in　this　case。　Bonnet　reports　a　case　of　fracture　of　both　thighs；　two　right　ribs；　luxation　of　the　clavicle；　and　accidental　club…foot　with　tenotomy；　with　good　recovery　from　all　the　complications。　Beach　speaks　of　an　individual　who　suffered　fracture　of　both　thighs；　and　compound　comminuted　fracture　of　the　tibia；　fibula；　and　tarsal　bones　into　the　ankle…joint；　necessitating　amputation　of　the　leg。　The　patient　not　only　survived　the　operation；　but　recovered　with　good　union　in　both　thighs。　As　illustrative　of　the　numerous　fractures　a　person　may　sustain　at　one　time；　the　London　Medical　Gazette　mentions　an　injury　to　a　girl　of　fourteen；　which　resulted　in　31　fractures。

Remarkable　Falls。In　this　connection　it　is　of　interest　to　note　from　how　great　a　height　a　person　may　fall　without　sustaining　serious　injury。　A　remarkable　fall　of　a　miner　down　100　meters　of　shaft　（about　333　feet）　without　being　killed　is　recorded　by　M。　Reumeaux　in　the　Bulletin　de　l'Industrie　Minerale。　Working　with　his　brother　in　a　gallery　which　issued　on　the　shaft；　he　forgot　the　direction　in　which　he　was　pushing　a　truck；　so　it　went　over；　and　he　after　it；　falling　into　some　mud　with　about　three　inches　of　water。　As　stated　in　Nature；　he　seems　neither　to　have　struck　any　of　the　wood　debris；　nor　the　sides　of　the　shaft；　and　he　showed　no　contusions　when　he　was　helped　out　by　his　brother　after　about　ten　minutes。　He　could　not；　however；　recall　any　of　his　impressions　during　the　fall。　The　velocity　on　reaching　the　bottom　would　be　about　140　feet；　and　time　of　fall　4。12　seconds；　but　it　is　thought　he　must　have　taken　longer。　It　appears　strange　that　he　should　have　escaped　simple　suffocation　and　loss　of　consciousness　during　a　time　sufficient　for　the　water　to　have　drowned　him。

While　intoxicated　Private　Gough　of　the　42d　Royal　Highlanders　attempted　to　escape　from　the　castle　at　Edinburgh。　He　fell　almost　perpendicularly　170　feet；　fracturing　the　right　frontal　sinus；　the　left　clavicle；　tibia；　and　fibula。　In　five　months　he　had　so　far　recovered　as　to　be　put　on　duty　again；　and　he　served　as　an　efficient　soldier。　There　is　an　account　of　recovery　after　a　fall　of　192　feet；　from　a　cliff　in　County　Antrim；　Ireland。　Manzini　mentions　a　man　who　fell　from　the　dome　of　the　Invalides　in　Paris；　without　sustaining　any　serious　accident；　and　there　is　a　record　from　Madrid　of　a　much　higher　fall　than　this　without　serious　consequence。　In　1792　a　bricklayer　fell　from　the　fourth　story　of　a　high　house　in　Paris；　landing　with　his　feet　on　the　dirt　and　his　body　on　stone。　He　bled　from　the　nose；　and　lost　consciousness　for　about　forty…five　minutes；　he　was　carried　to　the　Hotel…Dieu　where　it　was　found　that　he　had　considerable　difficulty　in　breathing；　the　regions　about　the　external　malleoli　were　contused　and　swollen；　but　by　the　eighth　day　the　patient　had　recovered。　In　the　recent　reparation　of　the　Hotel　Raleigh　in　Washington；　D。C。；　a　man　fell　from　the　top　of　the　building；　which　is　above　the　average　height；　fracturing　several　ribs　and　rupturing　his　lung。　He　was　taken　to　the　Emergency　Hospital　where　he　was　put　to　bed；　and　persistent　treatment　for　shock　was　pursued；　little　hope　of　the　man's　recovery　was　entertained。　His　friends　were　told　of　his　apparently　hopeless　condition。　There　were　no　external　signs　of　the　injury　with　the　exception　of　the　emphysema　following　rupture　of　the　lung。　Respiration　was　limited　and　thoracic　movement　diminished　by　adhesive　straps　and　a　binder；　under　careful　treatment　the　man　recovered。

Kartulus　mentions　an　English　boy　of　eight　who；　on　June　1；　1879；　while　playing　on　the　terrace　in　the　third　story　of　a　house　in　Alexandria；　in　attempting　to　fly　a　kite　in　company　with　an　Arab　servant；　slipped　and　fell　71　feet　to　a　granite　pavement　below。　He　was　picked　up　conscious；　but　both　legs　were　fractured　about　the　middle。　He　had　so　far　recovered　by　the　24th　of　July　that　he　could　hobble　about　on　crutches。　On　the　15th　of　November　of　the　same　year　he　was　seen　by　Kartulus　racing　across　the　playground　with　some　other　boys；　as　he　came　in　third　in　the　race　he　had　evidently　lost　little　of　his　agility。　Parrott　reports　the　history　of　a　man　of　fifty；　weighing　196　pounds；　who　fell　110　feet　from　the　steeple　of　a　church。　In　his　descent　he　broke　a　scaffold　pole　in　two；　and　fell　through　the　wooden　roof　of　an　engine…house　below；　breaking　several　planks　and　two　strong　joists；　and　landing　upon　some　sacks　of　cement　inside　the　house。　When　picked　up　he　was　unconscious；　but　regained　his　senses　in　a　short　time；　and　it　was　found　that　his　injuries　were　not　serious。　The　left　metacarpal　bones　were　dislocated　from　the　carpal　bones；　the　left　tibia　was　fractured；　and　there　were　contusions　about　the　back　and　hips。　Twelve　days　later　he　left　for　home　with　his　leg　in　plaster。　Farber　and　McCassy　report　a　case　in　which　a　man　fell　50　feet　perpendicularly　through　an　elevator　shaft；　fracturing　the　skull。　Pieces　of　bone　at　the　superior　angle　of　the　occipital　bone　were　removed；　leaving　the　aura　exposed　for　a　space　one　by　four　inches。　The　man　was　unconscious　for　four　days；　but　entirely　recovered　in　eighteen　days；　with　only　a　slightly　subnormal　hearing　as　an　after…effect　of　his　fall。

For　many　years　there　have　been　persons　who　have　given　exhibitions　of　high　jumps；　either　landing　in　a　net　or　in　the　water。　Some　of　these　hazardous　individuals　do　not　hesitate　to　dive　from　enormous　heights；　being　satisfied　to　strike　head　first　or　to　turn　a　somersault　in　their　descent。　Nearly　all　the　noted　bridges　in　this　country　have　had　their　〃divers。〃　The　death　of　Odlum　in　his　attempt　to　jump　from　Brooklyn　bridge　is　well　known。　Since　then　it　has　been　claimed　that　the　feat　has　been　accomplished　without　any　serious　injury。　It　is　reported　that　on　June　20；　1896；　a　youth　of　nineteen　made　a　headlong　dive　from　the　top　of　the　Eads　bridge　at　St。　Louis；　Mo。；　a　distance　of　125　feet。　He　is　said　to　have　swum　250　feet　to　a　waiting　tug；　and　was　taken　on　board　without　having　been　hurt。

Probably　the　most　interesting　exhibition　of　this　kind　that　was　ever　seen　was　at　the　Royal　Aquarium；　London；　in　the　summer　of　1895。　A　part　of　the　regular　nightly　performance　at　this　Hall；　which　is　familiar　on　account　of　its　immensity；　was　the　jump　of　an　individual　from　the　rafters　of　the　large　arched　roof　into　a　tank　of　water　about　15　by　20　feet；　and　from　eight　to　ten　feet　deep；　sunken　in　the　floor　of　the　hall。　Another　performer；　dressed　in　his　ordinary　street　clothes；　was　tied　up　in　a　bag　and　jumped　about　two…thirds　of　this　height　into　the　same　tank；　breaking　open　the　bag　and　undressing　himself　before　coming　to　the　surface。　In　the　same　performance　a　female　acrobat　made　a　backward　dive　from　the　topmost　point　of　the　building　into　a　net　stretched　about　ten　feet　above　the　floor。　Nearly　every　large　acrobatic　entertainment　has　one　of　these　individuals　who　seem　to　experience　no　difficulty　in　duplicating　their　feats　night　after　night。

It　is　a　common　belief　that　people　falling　from　great　heights　die　in　the　act　of　descent。　An　interview　with　the　sailor　who　fell　from　the　top…gallant　of　an　East　Indiaman；　a　height　of　120　feet；　into　the　water；　elicited　the　fact　that　during　the　descent　in　the　air；　sensation　entirely　disappeared；　but　returned　in　a　slight　degree　when　he　reached　the　water；　but　he　was　still　unable　to　strike　out　when　rising　to　the　surface。　By　personal　observation　this　man　stated　that　he　believed　that　if　he　had　struck　a　hard　substance　his　death　would　have　been　painless；　as　he　was　sure　that　he　was　entirely　insensible　during　the　fall。　

A　writer　in　the　Pall　Mall　Gazette；　in　speaking　of　the　accidents　which　had　happened　in　connection　with　the　Forth　Bridge；　tells　of　a　man　who　trusted　himself　to　work　at　the　height　of　120　feet　above　the　waters　of　the　Firth；　simply　grasping　a　rope。　His　hands　became　numb　with　cold；　his　grasp　relaxed；　and　he　fell　backward　down　into　the　water；　but　was　brought　out　alive。　In　another　instance　a　spanner　fell　a　distance　of　300　feet；　knocked　off　a　man's　cap；　and　broke　its　way　through　a　four…inch　plank。　Again；　another　spanner　fell　from　a　great　height；　actually　tearing　off　a　man's　clothes；　from　his　waistcoat　to　his　ankle；　but　leaving　him　uninjured。　On　another　occasion　a　staging　with　a　number　of　workmen　thereon　gave　way。　Two　of　the　men　were　killed　outright　by　striking　some　portion　of　the　work　in　their　descent；　two　others　fell　clear　of　the　girders；　and　were　rescued　from　the　Firth　little　worse　for　their　great　fall。

Resistance　of　Children　to　Injuries。It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that　young　children；　whose　bones；　cartilages；　and　tissues　are　remarkably　elastic；　are　sometimes　able　to　sustain　the　passage　over　their　bodies　of　vehicles　of　great　weight　without　apparent　injury。　There　is　a　record　early　in　this　century　of　a　child　of　five　who　was　run　over　across　the　epigastrium　by　a　heavy　two…wheeled　cart；　but　recovered　without　any　bad　symptoms。　The　treatment　in　this　case　is　quite　interesting；　and　was　as　follows：　venesection　to　faintness；　castor　oil　in　infusion　of　senna　until　there　was　a　free　evacuation　of　the　bowels；　12　leeches　to　the　abdomen　and　spine；　and　a　saline　mixture　every　two　hours！　Such　depleting　therapeutics　would　in　themselves　seem　almost　sufficient　to　provoke　a　fatal　issue；　and　were　given　in　good　faith　as　the　means　of　effecting　a　recovery　in　such　a　case。　In　a　similar　instances　a　wagon　weighing　1200　pounds　passed　over　a　child　of　five；　with　no　apparent　injury　other　than　a　bruise　near　the　ear　made　by　the　wheel。

Infant…vitality　is　sometimes　quite　remarkable；　a　newly…born　child　sometimes　surviving　extreme　exposure　and　major　injuries。　There　was　a　remarkable　instance　of　this　kind　brought　to　light　in　the　Mullings　vs。　Mullings　divorce…case；　recorded　in　The　Lancet。　It　appeared　that　Mrs。　Mullings；　a　few　hours　after　her　confinement　at　Torquay；　packed　her　newly…born　infant　boy　in　a　portmanteau；　and　started　for　London。　She　had　telegraphed　Dr。　J。　S。　Tulloch　to　meet　her　at　Paddington；　where　he　found　his　patient　apparently　in　good　condition；　and　not　weak；　as　he　expected　in　a　woman　shortly　to　be　confined。　On　the　way　to　her　apartments；　which　had　been　provided　by　Dr。　Tulloch；　Mrs。　Mullings　remarked　to　the　Doctor　that　she　had　already　borne　her　child。　Dr。　Tulloch　was　greatly　surprised；　and　immediately　inquired　what　she　had　done　with　the　baby。　She　replied　that　it　was　in　a　box　on　top