The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-10-25
" Eou-aasg oste .nattbe ggaeyu,''



Ashley Cooper in his surgical lectures.
n man by the namo Of Jones, rcceiv-
cd an injury Of his head while on board
u vessel in tho Mediterranean, which
rendered him inscnsible. The vessel.
soon after this, made Gibraltar, where
Jones was placed in the hospital, and
remained several months in the same
insensible state lie was then car
ricd OIL board the Dolphin frigatc to
| Deptfort, and from thence was sent TO
st. Thomas Hospital, Loudon. He
lay constantly on his blck, and breath
cd with difficulty. His pulse was reg
ular. and each time it beat he moved
his fingers. When hungry or thirsty,
nc moved his lips and tongue. Mr..
Clync, the surgeon, found portion Of
the skull depressed, trepanncd him,
and removed the depressed portion
Immediately after tho operation the
motion ofthc fingers ceased, and ut four
o'clock in the afternoon (tho operation
having been performed at one) he sat
up III bed sensation and voltion re-
turned, and in four days he got out of
bed and conyerscd. The last thing he
remembered was tho circumstance of
taking prize in the Mediterranean.
From the moment Of the accident,
M'rfeen mont!s and q fer days, oblivi.
OH had come over him, and all rccol-
lection ceased. He had, for moro
than one year, drunk Of the cup of
Leihc, and lived wholly mcoucious Of
existence; yet, on removing a small
portion Of bone which pressed Upon
the brain, he was restored TO full
possession ofthe powers Of his mind
and body.-Dr. BriGham.
| ~-~~>~~-.-~os--~---~~
The BRAlS-"The Brain is q part
OF the bodily constitution, and is hence
subject to its laws; it therefore cannot
exercise these high functions Of thought
reflection, and reason, except UPON
certain unaltcrable physical condi.
tons"
Being Of soft ard delicate struc.
turo, the Brain is covered and prutec.
ted by stroug bony case, which
forms the s!cIli. Sometimes, parts Of
the skull arc destroyed, or removed
by accident or disease, leaving the
naked Brain exposed. II, in this
case, pressure be made upon it, eve.
ry ncntal manifestation instantly
ceases; with the removal Of the pres.
sure, 1t returns. 1t has been found that
by such compression upon the Brain
conversation was arrested in the midst
OF u sentence, and when removed it
was resumed at the same point In q
case related by Sir Ashley Cooper,
consciousness, which had been suspcn.
dcd for several months, was restored
~ removing portion Of the skull
which pressed upon the Brain. Great
internal pressure, as by the blood in
apoplexy, also destroys consciousness
and all mental action.
| Tho activity Of tho Brain is also de-
pendent upon full supply Of arto,
rlalizcl blood. This is moro indis.
pcnsable to the Cerebral and Nervous
tlssue than to any olhor portion OF
the body. The weight Of the Brain
ls upon an average l-2S that of the en-.
tire body, and yet it is estimated by
different Psychologists to receive from
l.6 to 10 Of all tho blood which is
distributed to the system. If the cir.
cula,ion Of blood through the Brain
be suspended but for an instant, tho
Will and all voluntary power is pros
trated, mentality is cxtinguished, to-
TIL insensibility occurs, and contin.
ucs until tho circulation is restored.
J This is proved in numerous ways, but
the following experiment of Sir AS.
tlcy Cooper is very satisfactory. He
tied the carotoid arteries in Dog, so
that no blood could enter the Brain
except what passed through the vertc-
6ral trunks. lie then compressed
these trunks, so as to check tho cur
rent, and Immediately insenslbillty
came on, the animal at the sauo
time falling powerlcsS. AS soon as
the blood was re-admittcl, the ami
NAL recovered its consciousness and
voluntary power, and stood upon its
legs again.
From "Alcohol and the Constitu.
ton OF Man." by l.. l.. Youmans.1
| -~~~--~~- --o.-..~-~o~~---~-
IN EXTINCT AMERICAN RACE.-The
following passage from the Travels Of
llnmboidt, possesses moro than or
dmary Interest at the present time:
--"Amidst tile plains Of North Am,
erica, some powerful nation, which
has disappeared, constructed circular,
square, and octaeonal fortitications;
walls, GOOO toiscs in length; tumuli
from 700 to 500 feet in diameter and
llo feet in height, sometimes round,
sometimes with several stories, and
containing thousands Of skeletons.