The Chesterton Tribune, October 29, 1885
A DELICATE OPERATION
Tuesday afternoon of this week, Dr. Moses Gunn, of Chicago, operated on
the arm of Mr. Charles Lindstrom, of this place, before the class in
Rush Medical College. Dr. Miller of Chesterton, being present, and
assisting. The operation was an unusual one, being that of cutting down
upon a severed nerve and reuniting it with the hope of restoring the
distal part to its former action, an operation of rare occurrence, as it
has but recently, or of late years been discovered that renewed energy
would take place and the withering, helpless member of parts formerly
supplied by the injured nerve again be enervated and receive the power
of motion and the sense of feeling. It will be remembered that the
Lindstrom brothers got into an altercation one year ago last August, at
which time Charles received a stab on the inner side of the right arm,
about three inches above the elbow, wounding the vessels so severely
that he was almost lifeless from loss of blood when medical aid arrived
and afterwards it was discovered that the median nerve was also severed,
by the greater portion of the hand supplied by it being completely
paralyzed. Mr. Lindstrom being informed by his home physician and
others that restoration was possible, he determined to undergo the
operation, Dr. Gunn informing him however that it might not be a
success, although others had been restored, but as it was his hand,
would continue to wither and be forever useless.
The operation was performed in little less than one hour, in the
presence of several hundred students, in the Amphitheater of the
college, and the patient then taken to the Presbyterian hospital
adjoining the college, where a very neat apartment was assigned him,
where he will probably remain two weeks or more. An incision about four
inches in length was made in order to find the two end of the nerve
which were two inches apart. The ends being fastened by clipping a
portion from each, including a large bulb the size of a hazelnut which
had formed on the upper part they were brought together and united by
ligature, and the wound carefully dressed. Mr. Lindstrom was not aware
of any suffering, being profoundly under the influence of an anesthetic.
Dr. Miller also witnessed a resection of bone by Professor Gunn at the
same time the man having received a fracture just above the knee, which
from some cause failed to unite, considerable time, having elapsed since
the accident occurred. The operation consisted of making a large
opening in the side of the leg, bringing the ends of the bone out by
bending the leg at the break, and then sawing off the ends, making the
leg about three inches shorter, and after bringing the two square ends
together they were fastened by means of wire sutures and wound dressed.
This operation lasted an hour.
A SAD ACCIDENT
Mr. Adam Harness, residing on the Eli Harvey farm, about three miles
south of Rolling Prairie, met with a sudden and tragic death Sunday
afternoon. Together with a brother he was out hunting, and stopped in
the orchard on the place to get a few apples to eat. Mr. Harness was on
the ground while
the other climbed up in the tree to shake off the apples. Suddenly the
latter heard the report of a gun that he had left standing against the
trunk of the tree, and looking down was horrified to see his brother
falling to the ground with the top of his head torn off. In dislodging
the fruit Adam had accidentally struck the gun, which caused its
discharge. The charge entered the head above the eyes and tore the top
of the skull into fragments. Death was instantaneous. The victim had a
wife and two children.
HE HOLLARED HASH
Last week a Swede named Aug. Johnson went to Justice Gondring and swore
out a warrant for Mrs. Louisa Turner for assault and battery. The case
was called, and when the lady was brought in court, the Justice looked
ashamed of himself, for the idea of a great big fellow asking the
protection of the law against a little woman was against the Squire's
ideas of gallantry. The plaintiff telling his story said "I board at
Mrs. Turner's house, and in the evening I went to supper. There was
some hash on the table and I hollered HASH! I got my pay that night and
was going away, so I went into the kitchen and told Mrs. Turner she
needn't cook any more hash for us. She struck me then with a bell.
Mrs. Turner being called, had the following to say on the subject.
I was preparing supper and this fellow came in hollering and insulted
me, I picked up the first thing in reach, which happened to be a dinner
bell, and struck him."
The Squire chided the lady for using a bell, saying that "the broom was
a woman's proper weapon." Mrs. Turner was then discharged. Johnson and
his friends then set up a howl for justice, when the now thoroughly
angered Squire took one of them by the coat collar and helped him vacate
the premises. They marched out to the road on double quick, while Mrs.
Turner returned home rejoicing.
RAILWAY ACCIDENT
A Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific passenger train was wrecked four miles
south of Laporte Monday injuring the following persons:
W. B. Wheelock, of Chicago, bruised badly about the face and shoulders.
Mrs. Sarah M. Bascomb, of Muskegon, contusions of head and bruised arm.
N. Sullivan, of Michigan City, Ind. rib broken.
Mrs. Henrietta DeHart of Valparaiso, right arm and hand badly sprained.
Mrs. Alice McDaniel and three children, of Walkerton, Ind., all badly
injured.
Conductor O'Brien, leg badly sprained. The wreck was cause by a broken
rail. The train passed the broken rail in safety with the exception of
the rear coach, which left the track ad rolled into the ditch. The
injured were taken to Laporte for medical attendance.