The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-02
THE LIVING BRAIN.
Extraordinary Experiments in Cincinnati
III

Extraordinary Experiments i'll u Cincinnati
Hospital.
| From the Troy Times.
Some curious, and, We may add, rather
startling experiments upon human subject
were recently made al the Good Samaritan
Hospital, Cincinnati, by Dr. Robert Barlho-
low. The victim, II that Is u proper word to
| be used in this connection, was woman
about thirty-two years Of age, who, owing 10
nm accident in childhood, Was suffering from
an lncurabe Canccrous affection OF the head
which mad resulted in the destruction ol the
bones OF The occiput 10 SUCH an extent us 10
leave a portion OF both hemisphcres OF the
brain exposed. Knowing, Us he did, that In
stances have occurred i'll which the brain was
penetrated by foreign substances, ana portions
of it even lost, without lnillctlng OBVIOUS III
Jury DIR. BartholOw deemed THIS an excellent
Iopportunity to test the effects OF electricity
upon it. Procuring some exceedingly me
needles, he insulated them near the point, SO
That the electrical current when applied
should be confined to a small extent ot sub
stance, and inserted them at various times
during three weeks, into the brain, to depth
oftrom one.twelfth of an inch to al inch and
half, and applied q Faradic current (what-
ever that may be-, the weakest that coulu be
used Some curious results were obtained.
The first point demonstrated was the absolute
Iinsensiblity OF the durd mater, or membran-
Gus covering of the BRAIN, and OF the brain
substance itself, near the substance. The pa
tient, though fully conscious and In the pos
session OF her faculties, was wholly lnsenslble
to the presence of the needle. AT certain
depth OF penetration sensation was apparent,
moi IN the brain itself but in the extremities,
chiefly in the hand and arm opposite the
hemisphere of the brain, which was the To-
colity of the experiment. When the needle
was inserted deeply into the left hemisphere,
for instance, a painful tingling was occasion
ed in the right arm and hand, and Uace cersd.
Similar phenomena were observed when the
needle was connected with galvanic battery,
the pain IN the arm and hand was lntenslfl-
ed. and distinct muscular movement cnsued.
Application of u strong electrical current
caused "unlla,eral epilepsy OF the opposite
side. of great violence" The patient, whose
case was a hopeless one, finally succumbed,
and the question whether she might have NV
ed longer but for DR.. Barthoiow'S practical
devotion to scientific inquiry remains an open
one. 1t was raised at meeting OF medlcal
and surgical experts, before which the doctor
described the history OF this remarkable case,
one evening last week, and the general I'M
preston seems 10 have been that the woman
was injured during those three weeks of EN-
plTlCtI lcScdICH' III i,ai 'iiolON S"it AZ 90
swer to inquiries, that after her death he made
a pest morton examination, which showed
that the brain substance was destroyed along
the course taken by the needle; and he added
that with the knowledge he now had as to the
effect he would not repeat the experiment.
There seemed to be difference OF opinion
among the assembled doctors rs to the justiti-
cation of venturing upon measures which
might possibly shorten the life Of Il patient,
merely in Order that the stock of medical
knowledge might be increased. The general
impression, however, was that where rCcOv-
cry is impossible and the patients consent is
given, such experiments may be properly
made With that conclusion we shall not
quarrel; but our opinion is that nothing OF
the sort should be attempted without the eX,
press concurrence of the persons most nearly
interested