A Life in Death.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13608, 30 May 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Life in Death.

REMARKABLE CASE. ; On October 25 last a boy of 17, named Bertie Cook, was carried into the hospital. He had just been extracted frdm a lift. As the lift was working lie was caught; in such a fashion that-lie became jamriied; at the back of the neck just as; if "an ait tempt had been made to : guillotine fiini:' boy was still alive in St. BaTtlibloiivcw's Hospital on April 6tli of this Wear. ■ ■ • The result of the accident was that 'che unfortunate boy's body. below~ the\ iieek was instantly paralysed. There was :ho loss of •••• consciousness—a fact . -ivllioh gives a." touch . of added - horror to the wrecking of his young life. A specialist at once saw the boy, but diagnosis in such cases -is so difficult- that nothing more than a general conclusion could be arrived at. AVhat the surgeons think happened is this: The vertebrae of the neck, which is situated just.-wli-eve

one's collar stud comes, were .possibly dis- ! placed, though they seem to have immediately afterwards returned to their normal position. Momentary as the displacement was, however, it was sufficient to so damage the spinal cord that nearly- the whole of ; the lad's body was "cut off" from his brain. It was as if natures telegraph wires that link iin the body into unity had been destroyed.

- The bov could see, hear, and speak., But the greater'portions of his lungs were out of action. His arms from the shoulders downwards were powerless. His , body from the collar-bone downwards was dnsenate. . - -

Under t Ih< treatment and miming for which " Barts" is l famous the world over, he has so far recovered that- he has regained feeling in his arms down to the wrists. In one or two fingers there is afeo a little sensation. Sensation has also increased in his body over, the area lying between the collar-bone and ..a,; line drawn from arm-pit to arm-pit. BREATHING LIMITED.

He can move i his head about and shvug his- shoulders. He can move his nrms, but in a purposeless, helpless fashion. Only one -set- of nerves has recovered,,, fo that, tlie lower arm is apt to' be Tiroujrbt Bp with a, sort of-mechanical jerk. His power of bi-eathing with his lungs is still curtailed by about' two-thirds.

•There lie lies, day after, day—-us pitiable » piece of humanity as one coukl -imagine, sentenced for no fault of 'life own. to. perpetual heljdessness. And in all human probability it is a life sentence. Nothing 'that can be done to make existence bearable is forgotten by the doctors. One of the dressers rigged up a sling for the patient so that lie can be propped ii]) in bed to read a book that is'fixed up into a. frame. He has to be fed. and everything solid lie eats has either be cut up or minced. , " ' , It say.-: much for modern ?>urgerv t ha'■ life in such a c;\se can. even' be temporarily maintained, to isay nothing of the possibilities of prolonging it. But the doctors .say that there is no. reason why the lad should not live to be an old limn- -provided that he ;s not attacked' with bronchitis or pneumonia. ;

But what a. prospect ! I h' I 'saving power of Nature- to N have all, that, she can possibly do" for him. .Science, also, has come to the end of its tether.' ; What is wanted for Bertie Cook % a. home in which he could have the best of nursing and attention, ii.i which thciv woiild be kind heart'* to chaise awav frojn. his-ycmng isoul the flicutrlits of black' des - pair that ever hover near. - •