MAN’S BRAIN INJURED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11827, 7 January 1933, Page 12

MAN’S BRAIN INJURED

STRUCK BY. LIGHTNING

• TRIUMPH FOR SURGERY. ■ SYDNEY, ■ December 22. An - -extraordinary “medical ’patient, Mr. Alfred C. Mills: Fas'died'in the .Reception House, Sydney, at the acre, of -69 years. Forty-eight /years' a£Jo lie was struck by lightning'/ /and dreadfully injured about tne oead• He 1 "was unconscious for nine souths, in hospital, and the most expert medical skill in Sydney at tr-e time was brought fo'ni? aid. His life was despaired of. Sir Charles Ciabhs, the famous surgeon, who died’ recently, was one of the medical men-wad attended him. Mr. Mills, artr regaining consciousness, remained a patient; in the hospital for 4; years before surgerv triumphed over his injured brain. Although his brain became affected occasionally, ne spent tne greater part of his remaining days at hard work. This extraordinary case was revealed to the ponce by Mrs. Turner, of Kogarah, who had cared for MrMills during the last few years, when his old brain injury began to affect; his health. The police state that 43 years ago Mr Mills was working m a brickyard in a suburb of Sydney with three other men. A violent electrical storm arose, accompanied by vivid lightning and loud thunder. Lightning struck the four men and killed three or them instantly. Mr. Mills was the only survivor. Mrs. Turner, then a young girl, witnessed the tragedy, as she was walking into k-he brieky-ard : with, lunch f° r the workmen. The lightning seemed to strike Mr. Mills on the head. His scalp was torn nearly oft his head, but was left- suspended by a piece of skin. Math, great presence of mind, Mrs. Turner rushed to the aid of Mr. Mills, and -replaced his scalp with her hinds as he fell to the ground unconscious. The lightning had fractured his skull, tearing a hole in the back of hia head. His brain was affected.

While Mr. Mills was lying unconscious in hospital, whither he hail been taken, his ease attracted medical attention from all quarters, and the saving of his life was regarded ns a triumph of medical skill. When he began to recover it was thought the functioning of hi s brain rvould be affected, but Mr. Mills returned to apparently normal health. Thin, ing his later life, according to the poliee j Mrs. Turner took, care ‘of him, but with.. increasing age his injury returned with increasing severity. Some weeks ago Mr. Mills became subject to violent fits, and he was eventually removed to the reception house by the' police. He died there. At the inquest it was revealed that; for more than 40 years he had' lived with a silver plate in his head'. Medical men are astonished that death should have been so long delayed.