The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-08
a Wonderful Operation.


A correspondent writes of the following
almost incredible surgical operation per
formed at Leipzig in Germany - rae
A soldier who had killed the Colonel o.
his regiment in cold blood, and whom the
| severity Of Prussian military discipline
would have caused to die a hundred deaths
had it been possible, was deliberately hand
ed over tothe surgeon, by sentence Of court
In the military hospital, entirely In the
dark as 20 the fate which awaited him,
he was kept there ready for an emergency,
which did NOT failnto occur. A keeper OF
beer cellardn Leipzig, man reseoibling
An many respects the condem ned soldier,
Examination of the heart, or rather OF it's IN
vesting membrane, was brought to the
hospitaifo die of that incurable an d prompt
" fatal malady9 No sooner had the anti
|cipated death taken place than the dead
aaloon ,keeper was placed on a liable by
which was the chloroformed but living
body of.the" soldier. Two surgeons, With
ASSISTANTS, proceeded alike in both cases
to divide the scalp over the summit of
skull from ear to ear, turn back the divf-
stone, and remove the skull cap by incis-
ion passing around the ekull like crown.
In the soldier; whose carotic arteries had
been prepared for compression, these yes.
sells were cisn,ped so as to prevent hemor-
rhege and but q few drops Of blood were
lost during the entire operation. Fu each
the dura mater was incised, and the hem
ispheres of the brain were removed by an
incision with a sharp, thin bladed knife
passing above the cerebellum, or a narrow
portion of about two inches in diameter
called the crura cerebri. The brain of the
saloon keeper which was sound, the heart
disease having left it intact, he having been
sensible to the last, was transferred to the
skull of the soldier by an ingegenious con-
trivance, fully detailed in The Gazette
Hebdomadaire, medical journal, the con-
tinuity of the artefial and venous tubes
was established. The greatest care was
taken in securing the natural adaptation
of the parts to- fraction of line aud the
skull, having been replaced simply, was
which was drawn over, and its edges con-
fined by strips of adhesive plaster, and
over ALI was placed q bandage. 10 was
not until several days had passed thas the
pressure upon the carotid arteries was en-.
tirely relaxed, although before the skull
sells of the brain Was proved to be restored,
The chief fear was from the results of in
aanmation and snppuration, bat, FORUM
ately neither ensued, and the wounded
parts healed kindly. . er- F..~ r,rI W. q
There was from the fret no difficulty in
kOOuibS Oh0 PuGA0uOS HCE WIS ufluCUEtY 6u-
ticipated, for it is we'll know d that in pup
pies aud kittens In which the entire brain
has been removed, Sucking and swallowing
go on as we'll as before the operation. and
in this case the nerves which preside over
degtutition and dig0ation were far below
the pointo of dissection The patient remain
ed In sound sleep for two weeks. as in case
OF apoplexys the eireuiasion, digestion, and
all the vegetative fanctione Of life Being
uninterrupted. The gradual union of the
parts was shown by faint but gradually in
creasing movenaentA of the iRabs, OF the
jaws. and Of the M uscaes% of eKpressioa in
the face. Speech did not become possible
until the close of che third week, and then
1t was hesitahBg, ssaaaaaering, as . Guild
learns. Although It was evident that the
patient tried to utter words and sentehces.
IL was very gradually chat the power Of in
telngible. articnlation returned. When
speech became siatelligible 10 was found.
that the soldier, as he seenned, had for
gotten entirely his military training and
discipline en- the other hand he told; at a
formal exam nation, in the presence of a
mum Der of witnesses, the prices Of all the
wines and beers, such as the saloon keeper |
had been in the habit of buying and selling,
the unimpaired cerebral of the |
latter. HIS memory recalled the salosn-
keepers relatives, friends and customers, |
whom he called by name. The soldier had |
been ugly, taciturn, revengeful; he now |
had the saloon keepers frankneBs, and
even garraiity, in spite of his stammering
atteranee. He was totally. blind. Although |
Tue nerves of smell and sight had been ap-
in the operation they failed to |
mite. It was Sad and strange to see and
hear the soldier cropping in his infrnity of
blindness and giving proof of all the patient
endurance and goodness Of heart which
mad made the saloon keeper deservedly
and prosperous:
Another Intelligent traveller, who has
ately been travelling among us, makes q
lharn hik in a 1akfar To frinndn hnuno