Death and sudden death / by P. Brouardel and F. Lucas Benham.

  • Paul Brouardel
Date:
1902
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Death and sudden death / by P. Brouardel and F. Lucas Benham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    his own passing-bell, and by a desperate effort moved one of his thumbs, thus attracting the attention of the women around him. He recovered and lived for some time.] Finally, Gentlemen, I come to concussion of the brain, and I will at once cite to you two typical cases. At the siege of Constantine, General Tr6zel, who com- manded the division, was struck by a ball on the back of the neck, and fell down. The troops continued their assault on the town, which presently fell into the hands of the French. Search was then made for the General’s body. It was found, and placed on a stretcher. While being carried on the ambulance, the General returned to life and warmly thanked the porters, but he did not recollect that he had been wounded. How long did apparent death last in his case ? I do not know; but I can state positively that it lasted during the time necessary to take the town, which must have occupied some hours at least. The second case came under my own eyes, and took place while I was house-physician at La Pitie. At that time the resident staff were not on good terms with the adminis- tration. A little bricklayer, aged 13, was brought in one day, who had fallen from the sixth story on to the pave- ment. The accident happened in the Rue de la Tournelle. The boy had been taken to a chemist, who pronounced him to be dead, and sent him on to the hospital. The director refused to admit him, as he was dead. Now, either by intuition or else to bamboozle the director, I stated that the lad was alive, although the sounds of the heart could not be heard on auscultation. I had him put into a mustard bath, and, to my delight, he came to. He had received no wound or any definite injury, only he remembered nothing. Gentlemen, I presume that an hour and a half had elapsed between the time that he fell and that when he entered the hospital. Just think that he had first been carried to the chemist’s, who had examined him : next, that a stretcher had to be procured : and then there was a good deal of parleying at the hospital door. That lad suffered from cerebral concussion, whence he emerged suddenly without any outward trouble. He might have been buried alive ; he
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