1112 Cpl John Jeremiah Lyons.

1112 Pte John Jeremiah Lyons, Died 1st May 1923 St Woolos Cemetery.
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FROM SURGICAL EXPERIENCES IN THE ZULU WAR.
CORP JOHN JEREMIAH LYONS. OF THE 2ND/ 24TH,

" When engaged in the defense of rorkes drift, recieved a bullet in his neck near the posterior margin of the sterno- mastoid on the left side, about the upper portion of the middle third of its length. Only one wound, that of entrance was present. He complained of great pain in the neck on the slightest movement. When in bed, the pillow caused an increase in this. He had lost almost all use of his arms and hands, especially the right one, which he described as quite dead. Painful twitchings were experienced in the arms. Whenever he wished to move his head from the bed, someone had to support it between their hands before he could do so. At rorkes drift several surgeons tried to find the bullet, but were unsuccessful. In the above condition he came under my care at helpmaaker 26th jan, four days after the injury. Next day i put him under chloroform and made a prolonged attempt to find the bullet. The course i found it had taken was in a direct line with the spinal cord. I made a free opening in the middle line as far down the course as possible, and again attempted to reach the bullet. I found by digital examination now that the processes of two adjacent vertabrae were smashed. I could also feel the spinal cord itself. Pressure thereon instantly caused the patient to turn pale and the pulse to be almost imperceptible, and necessitated the immediate withdrawl of the chloroform and the adoption of artificial respiration. I took away several pieces of the vertebral processes which were lying loose, but had to give up attempting to reach the bullet. The case continued much as described for some time. He was sent to the base hospital at Ladismith, and on taking over the medical charge of that hospital a month later, i found my old patient much in the same condition. He was suffering greatly from the pain in his arms and wished to have them both off ! to relieve him from it. O n examination, on making firm pressure , i found a distinct hard substance beneath the ligamentum nuchae which was not present on former occasions. On consultation with the surgeon- general of the forces, who happened to be on a tour of inspection at the time, i cut down upon it and enulceated an ordinary round bullet with a rather long rough process extending from its smooth surface. This wound healed rapidly, but the original one continued to discharge slightly for a long time. In a few days the pain entirely disappeared from his arms, and their use nearly returned. he was shortly after sent home to England.

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