So-called 'concussion of the spine' in railway injuries / by John G. Johnson.

  • Johnson, John George.
Date:
[1883?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: So-called 'concussion of the spine' in railway injuries / by John G. Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    accomplished agent, applied to a surgeon of experience in cases like his otvn, who discovered that he had sustained a severe wrench of the spine and of the sacro iliac synchon- drosis. The surgeon put him to bed, called in a trusty co- adjutor, and visited his interesting patient at least once a day for months. On June 12, Dr. Dunsmure requested me to see the claimant, as he had now become. We found him lying upon a sofa, from which he rose and walked with flexibility of body. There was not the slightest swelling, discoloration or rigidity of the spine, and, on the contrary, every appear- ance of good health, as far as we could judge from our own observation. On July 29, the trial being about to take place, the claimant desired to be examined by a commissioner, and his ordinary attendant, having given a certificate on ‘ soul and conscience’ that he was unable to appear in the witness box without serious injury to his health. I was requested, along with Dr. Dunsmure, to report as to this for the infor- mation of the court. We found the claimant laying or rather lolling, on two chairs in a garden, to and from which he walked in leaving and returning to his room, which was up a stair, on the drawing-room floor. He told us that be sat at his meals, and on the whole he had no appearance of bad health. We reported our opinion that he could safely appear in court, and the trial was ordered to proceed But the claimant’s legal advisers applied for delay. “ On December 14, Dr. Dunsmure and I were requested to see the claimant, as the trial would take place on the 24th. We found that he was not at home, but after a little while we saw him walking stoutly along the street from a public bathing establishment, which, it appeared, he had frequented for several months He walked up the stairs of his residence