LIGHTNING, AccmENTs FROM. According to the registrar-general's report of births, deaths, and marriages for the year 1871, it appears that during that year 28 persons were killed in England by lightning: none in London, 5 in the south-eastern division, & in the south midland, 1 in the eastern, 1 in the south-western. 2 in the west midland, 6 in the north midland, 4 in the north-western, 2 in Yorkshire, and 1 in the northern division. All except 5 were men, and chiefly laborers in the open air. In 1875 17 per sons were killed; in 1877 only 10. Of 24 deaths from this cause in a previous report, 11 took place in summer, 10 in spring, 2 in autumn, and 1 in winter. Out of 103 deaths in 5 years (1852-56), there were 38 in July, and 22 in Aug.
A person struck by lightning is more or less stunned and deprived of consciousness for a time, often, no doubt, by mere fright, in which case the effect is transient; but sometimes in consequence of a shock given to the brain, in which latter ease there is a certain amount of paralysis of motion and sensation. In a case recorded by 13oudin in his Geographic lfedicale, 1857, a gentleman who bad been struck by lightning remained for an hour and a quarter apparently devoid of any indication of life; and the paralysis, which usually- affects the lower limbs, may last for many, months. 3Ir. Holmes, in his article on " Accidents from Lightning," in his System of Surgery, gives the following list of other affections caused by lightning: "Burns, more or less extensive; eruptions of erythema or of urticaria, which are said by one author to have reappeared with eaclt succeeding thunder-storm; loss of hair over parts or the whole of the body; wounds; hemorrhage from the mouth, nose, or ears; loss of sight, smell, speech, hearing, and taste; or, in rare cases, exaltation of these special senses; cataract, h-nbecility, abortion."' Another curious effect of lightning is that described under the head of LIGHTNING PRINTS. In reference to the occasional loss of hair, 31. Boudin (op, ei!.) relates that the capt. of a French frigate, who was struck by lightning on board his ship, could not shave himself on the following day, the razor not cutting but tearing out his hair. From.
that day the beard disappeared, and the hair of the scalp, eyebrows, etc., gradually fell off, leaving him entirely bald. The nails of the fingers also scaled aWay. Sir B. Brodie tells a curious story of two bullocks, pied white and red, which were struck in different storms; in both cases the white hairs were consumed, while the red ones escaped. As a general rule, it seems that persons not killed on the spot usually recover. The burns present every degree of intensity; in sonic (probably exaggerated) cases we hear of men and animals being reduced to ashes, while in ordinary cases they vary from deep burns, difficult in healing, to mere vesications: they must be treated in the ordinary method. It was believed until recently that the burns are caused by the ignition of the clothes; it appears, however, from various cases collected by Dr. Taylor (Med, Juriv., 1865, p.. 737), that burns, at all events in some cases, are the direct result of the electricity. Ono case is so singular that we shall give a few details regarding it. 3fr. Fisher of Dudley was called in to see a man who 16 hours previously had been struck by lightning while milking a cow. The cow was killed on the spot, and the man was much injured, there being a severe burn extending from his right hip to his shoulder, and covering a large portion of the front and side of the body. His mind was wandering; there were symp toms of inflammatory fever, and he was confined to bed for 17 days, at the end of -which thne the healing process was not complete. On examining his dress, it was found that the right sleeve of his shirt was burned to shreds, but there was no material burning of any other part of his dress. Hence it is obvious that the dress may be burned witliont the surface of the body being simultaneously injured; and, further, that a serious burn may be produced on the body although the clothes covering, the part may have escaped. combustion.