Puzzles Doctors: Remarkable case of a colored youth at Helena, Arkansas, page 1

Reported 12 March, 1893 by Dan McKeil,
Published 13 March, 1893 in The Omaha Daily Bee,

- a young colored man of this county, is puzzling physicians of this vicinity. About a year ago, while having an epileptic fit, he fell into an open fireplace and when found he was lying on the fire in an unconcious condition. His scalp, the muscles of his head and the bones of the left side, as well as the tissues covering the left shoulder, were parched. He was in an unconcious condition for two days, and recollected no incident happening prior to regaining consciousness. The bones and flesh were burned from his head to such an extent that the brain could be felt. Little medical attention was given him, only household remedies being applied. The burn removed one-half the skull.
Now after a year the burned skull is being reconstructed and bids fair to completely heal, making an almost new bone covering for the brain, The man has fewer fits than before he had the accident. His mind is clear and he now does the work of an ordinary farm hand. He was before the medical society of this county at a convention. The case has no parallel so far as known by the medical authorities.

Go figure. Even in the 1800's, some home remedies nurse a guy with his brain exposed that was severely burned in a fire gets better.

Besides trauma, there is little evidence of western medical achievement.

Take cancer for instance, over 100 years, and nothing...that is disclosed to the public anyways.

What about this case?

How often does infection set in on a small area 3rd+ degree burn? Quite often in my experience. To heal from having been burned to a crisp is beyond good fortune. I'd like a synopsis of the home remedies applied. I doubt if the medical authorities were as curious then.