New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-01
HYDROPHOBIA.
A GREAT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.

| A GREAT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.
DIR. HAMMoND's WONDERFUL EXPERIMENTS IN THE
| MCCORMICK CASE STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN
THE MEDULLA OBL0NGATA OBsERvED-HYDRo-
PHOBn DISEASE OF THE GREAT NERVE
| CENTERs, AND NOT A BLOOD POISON.
| TheCoroners jury which was impaneled on Friday
last to investigate the of the death Of William
Mccormick was made up of the leading physicians
of this city, with view to making every effort to
determine as far as possible, the changes produced
il the human system by the terrible aud mysterious
disease called hydrophobia. When the post
mortem examination was made on Friday, DR..
William A. Hammond took charge of the parts
| which he wished to examine under the microscope,
and to him was. entrusted the work of ascertaining
whether any structural changes hitherto undiscov-
cred would reveal true lesion-that is, diseased
part peculiar to hydrophobia. Scientists who have
examined carefully and thoroughly as their
opportunities permitted the parts that might ex-
hibt structural changes in hydrOphobia have de-
| clared that there was no lesion The disease was
the result of reflex action Of the great nerve center
and no evidence trace of the morbid action could
be found in any post-mortem examination Dr.
Hammond had always contended that the reason
that lesion Of the disease had ever been discov
cred had been because the investigations had not
been carried to that extentithat the facilities of
the present day would permit.
| When Lionel Beale discovered the terminal fla
ments Of q fiber and the origin of nearly every
pair of cranial nerves traced into that great
center OF all life and motion, the medula obongata
| it was believed that true lesion in bydrOphobia
might be discovered If a suitable opportu-
nifty were presented. The rare occurrence
of an undoubted case of the disease seemed
to make those opportunities very few. and
when the case of Mccormick presented chance
DR.. Hammond determined to make the most
of it. The medulla OblOngata had been carefully
dissected out and placed in alcohol The pneumo-
gastric nerve was exposed on the left side of the
neck, and piece of it carefully cut out and placed
| in another bottle of alcohol. The medulla was
cleaned of every portion of membranous substance
that had been adherent and then immersed in a
weak solution of bichromate of potash. The object
of this was to bring out and harden the fila
ments, In order that more delicate section might
be made and the minute parts be more clearly re-
vealed afterwards.
On Monday. DR.. Hammond began his observations.
The medulla oblongata taken from the solution
and found to be in excellent state for the making Of
the sections The first section was made through
the spinal accessory nerves, where the filaments
pass from the medulla The reason that this part
first brought under observation was because the
greater force of the disease seemed to be extended
to the muscles of the throat, larynx, and pharynx
The first spasms those of the constructor
muscles of the throat. This was brought on by
McCormick's attempting to drink glass of water
on Wednesday night The attending physicians at
the post-mortem examination were astOnished at
the healthy appearance of the larynx and phary nx
internally, while the congestion and external IN
hammation amounted almost to Engagement. When
this section had been properly adjusted the cause of
this condition of the throat was evident. At
different points in the white and gray mat
ter which makes up the body OF
the medulla oblongata, could be distinctly
seen, when highly magnifed, black spots of lrregu-
lar shape aud various sizes. indicative iof extraya-
stated blood. At the origin of the spinal accessory
nerves this appearance became more marked. aud
the evidence that the part the seat of the dis
ease was as positive anything could be- Other sec
tions were made, and the same appearances were
plainly to be observed. A section through
the medulla oblOngata at the origin of the
flaments of the .pneumogastric nerve
exhibited, when highly magnifed, the
same dark irregular spots. In this section, as in
that including the spinal accessory nerves, the
greatest diseased action was evident about the
origin of the fiIaments though the spots could
also lbe plainly discerned in the gray and white
matter of the medulla oblongata. The accompany
ing diagram and the explanations show the appear
ance of the section exactly it appeared under the
microscope when observed by DR.. Hammond.
SECTION OF THE MEDUIJA oBLoNGATA.