on itself to the extent of two inches. The patient lived nine
days. Abel and Colman have reported a case of puncture of the brain
with loss of memory, of which the following extract is an epitome: "A
railway-fireman, thirty-six years old, while carrying an oil-feeder in
his hand, slipped and fell forward, the spout of the can being driven
forcibly into his face. There was transitory loss of consciousness,
followed by twitching and jerking movements of the limbs, most marked
on the left side, the legs being drawn up and the body bent forward.
There was no hemorrhage from mouth, nose, or ears. The metallic spout
of the oil-can was firmly fixed in the base of the skull, and was only
removed from the grasp of the bone by firm traction with forceps. It
had passed upward and toward the middle line, with its concavity
directed from the middle line. Its end was firmly plugged by bone from
the base of the skull. No hemorrhage followed its removal. The wound
was cleansed and a simple iodoform-dressing applied. The violent
jerking movements were replaced by a few occasional twitchings. It was
now found that the left side of the face and the left arm were
paralyzed, with inability to close the left eye completely. The man
became drowsy and confused, and was unable to give replies to any but
the simplest questions. The temperature rose to 102 degrees; the pupils
became contracted, the right in a greater degree than the left; both
reacted to light. The left leg began to lose power. There was complete
anesthesia of the right eyebrow and of both eyelids and of the right
cheek for an uncertain distance below the lower eyelid. The conjunctiva
of the right eye became congested, and a small ulcer formed on the
right cornea, which healed without much trouble. In the course of a few
days power began to return, first in the left leg and afterward, though
to a much less extent, in the left arm. For two weeks there was
drowsiness, and the man slept considerably. He was apathetic, and for
many days passed urine in bed. He could not recognize his wife or old
comrades, and had also difficulty in recognizing common objects and
their uses. The most remarkable feature was the loss of all memory of
his life for twenty years before the accident. As time went on, the
period included in this loss of memory was reduced to five years
preceding the accident. The hemiplegia persisted, although the man was
able to get about. Sensibility was lost to all form