TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 85 



safety-line, the air-pump being kept in action all the time. Cameron himself imagines 

 that he became aware of the accident sooner than those upon deck, and he had time 

 to make the signal of danger before he felt that they were pulling him up. His 

 first sensation was that of suffocation, from a want of air, and he felt the collar 

 of the helmet, the leads on the back and breast and the dress on the body generally 

 pressing upon him, as if he were about to be crushed, after which he lost all per- 

 ception. It is supposed that he was brought to the surface in less than a minute, and 

 air was immediately admitted into the helmet by unscrewing the eye-piece. No water 

 had entered within the caoutchouc dress. In less than a quarter of an hour he reco- 

 vered his consciousness and was soon afterwards able to speak. He was immediately 

 removed to Haslar Hospital, three miles distant from the scene of the accident. When 

 first examined at Spithead, the face, neck and breast were discoloured, and the tint 

 became darker before he reached the hospital. When he arrived there, his face 

 was considerably swollen, his neck more so ; both had a dark purple hue, and large 

 patches of extravasated blood separated the conjunctiva from the sclerotica of both 

 eyes. He felt no uneasiness in the chest or head, but had much pain in the larynx, 

 and considerable difficulty in swallowing. P. 65, rather full. Leeches were applied 

 to the throat, and he was placed in a warm hip-bath. 



He passed a comfortable night ; next day he felt giddy, the pupils were dilated, 

 the eyes were pained by light, and objects were seen double, though his vision was 

 less hazy than on the preceding evening. The pain in the larynx and difficulty of 

 swallowing were almost gone, the swelling of the face and neck had greatly subsided, 

 and parts of the face were resuming their natural hue. The conjunctiva of both eyes 

 was punctured, and the more fluid portion of the extravasated blood allowed to escape. 

 The discoloration of the face and neck went entirely off in a few days, with the ex- 

 ception of the upper and under eyelids, which retained their dark purple tints for 

 above a week, and the blood extravasated beneath the conjunctiva was not absorbed 

 for a month. The natural vision was restored on the fourth day from the accident, 

 and after that time till his discharge from the hospital he had no uneasy sensations. 

 He was anxious to return at once to his duty as a diver, but was not permitted to do 

 so again that season. The principal question of interest excited by this case is, repect- 

 ing the cause of the crushing sensation experienced by the diver, and the extensive 

 discoloration of the chest, neck and face. As the air must be propelled into the 

 helmet with a force superior to the pressure of the water at any given depth to which 

 the diver may descend, it appears obvious that the bursting of the pipe must have 

 produced a sudden diminution of pressure. An accident of a similar nature occurred 

 in the operations carried on by Captain Dickenson for the recovery of treasure from 

 the Thetis, wrecked off Cape Rio. Two men were employed in the diving-bell, in 15 

 fathoms of very clear water, when the air-pipe burst. They both dived under the edge 

 of the bell, and one of them, named Haynes, reached the surface in from 11" to 15", 

 but perceiving that his companion, named George Davies, lingered below, he dived 

 again and assisted him up. This was witnessed by John Leary, armourer, who was 

 also present at the operations of the Royal George, and, in his opinion, Davies was 

 more swelled about the neck, and blacker from the waist upwards than Cameron *. 



On a Case of unusual Paralysis. By Dr. Carson. 

 I have taken the opportunity of the meeting of the British Association to lay be- 

 fore the Medical Section a case of peculiar partial paralysis, which occurred at the 

 Northern Hospital of Liverpool, in the practice of my friend Mr. Banner, and which 

 he kindly afforded me an opportunity of observing, with permission to present it to 

 the meeting. The patient, Mark Barnes, aged 23, has all his life enjoyed good health, 



* Since the meeting of the Association an accident of a precisely similar nature to Came- 

 ron's has occurred to another of the divers employed on the Royal George, named John 

 Williams. The discoloration of the face and neck was of a darker purple than in Came- 

 ron's case, but did not extend to the hairy scalp ; his eyes were much blood-shot, the neck 

 swelled, and blood flowed from his nose, mouth and ears. This case has been published in 

 detail by Dr. Liddell, Deputy Inspector of Hospitals at Haslar. Subsequent to the occur- 

 rence of the last accident a valve has been fitted to the termination of the air-pipe, by which, 

 in the event of the tube again bursting, the air will be retained in the helmet, to serve for 

 respiration while the diver is ascending to the surface. 



