Sir Winston Churchill: fracture of fifth thoracic vertebra and a stroke following a fall on 15 November 1960

摘要

Before retiring, Churchill went into his wife’s room to say goodnight, leaving Howells outside the bed- room door, who recalled more than a decade later: ‘I heard a thud and Lady Churchill called out: “Howells, come quickly!” I ran in and found Sir Winston lying near the wardrobe in Lady Churchill’s dressing room which led off the bed- room’.! Apparently, having kissed his wife good- night, Churchill had half-turned to tell her something as he was going out of the door, lost his balance and fell against the side of the wardrobe.! The corner caught him between the shoulder blades.' At that time, Churchill relied heavily on a walking stick! following the effects of a stroke in 1953,>7 and he had a habit of pivoting on his left foot which meant that sometimes he was caught off balance.' Although Churchill was warned on many occasions that this was an unwise thing to do, ‘with usual Churchillian pugnacity he paid little attention to medical advice’.