Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-08
THE BRAIN OF GUITEAU.
UT REPORT OF THE MIcRoscopIsrs,
EEllGLAND'S WAR IN EGYPT.
EL4fHST POLITICAL NOMINATIONS.
DEFEAT OF JAY A. HUBBELL
Guiteau's Brain.

| WnOm you. with the assent OF Rev. DR.. w. w.
| HICKS, requested to make careful microScopical
| examination OF sections from the brain, dura
mater and lung of the late Charles j. Guiteau, and
to report the conditions found to be present have
completed their Investigation, and have agreed
| upon the following
Thin sections PREPARED by DIR. ]. C. Mcconnell
| OF the Army Medical Museum from the lung dura
| mater and brain, were submitted TO your commit
| tee Tor their inspection. The committee regret
that the preparations presented did not more com.
pletely represent the whole brain and its men,
| braneS.
The Lung-The sections of lung were from the
| left upper lobe. Their appearances were common
to military tubercle. Some OF the minute nodules
consisted of aggregations OF recently formed milf
AIRY tubercles, In which giant cells quite dis
| tlnct. Others contained older foci OF similar ag-
gregations, which had undergone corneous degen-
| Grafton considerable fermentation OF the pull
| monary parenchyma, very like that OF anthraco-
| sis, was also to be seen.
| Dulid Hdtef.-The sections OF dura mater were
| from the region OF the middle meningeal artery.
| Ihey showed but few, II any signs OF infamma-
| evident
Brain.-The brain sections comprised the fol-
lowing series, VIZ, sections from two portions of
| the corpus stratum marked, respectively, corpus
stratum /. corpus stratum 2; and sections from
four portions or the gray matter OF the convexity
or cortex OF the cerebrun, labelled, respectively
frontal region, convexity L. convexity 2 convexity
8. Those from the frontal region were probably
from the superior frontal convolution, whist those
marked conveXity l, 2 and were cut, respectively
! from the ascending frontal, the ascending par
ietai hai, and the superior parietal convolution
| l.
nal fssure, but the committees We're
not, informed from which hemisphere.
A close examination OF these sections, under
high power OF the microscope, revealed the LESSONS
| noted below: Corpus STRATUM, !. Not few of
xne blooa Vessels, Particularly canlaries and
! cular lymph spaces were often more or less COM
| pletely filled with masses OF yellowish-brown pig
| ment granules, which appeared 10 be the degener-
ated remains or old blood extravaSationS In areas
very numerous, but mainly limited to the gray or
ganglionic substance, the capillary blood vessels
presented their walls in state or granular degen-
Grafton. sometimes these granules were limited
within the endotheal cells, constituting the wall
OF the capillary. but often they were found for a
considerable distance completely enclrcling the
| vessel The lurnen OF the blood vessels was usu-
ally void OF blood corpuscles and was patulous.
small number OF very minute recent henorrhages
| were to be seen.
In the gray or ganglionic matter OF these sec
lions were quite numerous areas, In which altera-
lions or the neurOgla and OF the ganglionic nerve
corpuscles were very plainly visible. In them the
perlcellular lymph space were much crowded with
space seemed to be occupied by collections OF such
| cells, no trace OF the neurOglia cell or nerve
corpuscle remaining. Most frequently, however,
neither the encompaSSed nerve corpuscle nor the
neuroglia cell was destroyed. On the contrary,
| their nuclei and branched processes were gener-
| ally distinct. Yet in many cases the body OF the
cells was extensively tinged with a yellowIsh-
brown pigment and in a smaller number OF cells,
the presence OF well defined, dark granules in the
cell DOdy was Suf6c1ent to mark entirely the nu-
cleus IL any existed. Moreover, In the latter case
the cell processes were sometimes much less
numerous nun than normal, and the body OF the cell
Corpus Stratum, a-In these sections the neu-
roglia and nerve corpuscles were found to be in
much the same condition as above noted In O
genera! way it may be stated that the cellular
hyperplasia or cell multiplication was more
OF the blood vessels, two departures from health
were noteworthy Instead OF those LESSONS con-
ssting OF the remains, in the perivascuiar lymph
spaces, OF blood eAtravaSatiOns, in the first
tiOnS examined, these spaces at points along the
course of the vessel were often found crowded
Win lymphold elements. In some instances these
white cells were clustered closely around and ad-
nerent 10 the wall OF the vessel upon its exterior
and often most abundantly aggregated in the i'm
mediate vicinity of bifurcation In others the
cells were closely packed together upon the ex-
ternal wall OF the periyascular lymph space and
slightly infltrated the adjacent neuroglia
In the white fbrous nerve substance there were
Isolated bundles OF nerve hbreS and collections OF
such bundles, easily distinguished from the others
Dy Cne presence, In greatly Increased numbers, OF
cell elements upon and between them Under a
high power OF the microscope these elements were
found to be outside the capillary blood vessels,
ana to occupy the same relation to the nerve bun,
dies and to the vessels, and to present the same
geaeraI T picture as that seen in iong
optic neuritiS.
The areas of diseased structures above men
toned were more or less dffusedly scattered
among tissues In which nothing distinctly abhOr-
NAL could be made out
Cerebral Corter-Frontal Region.-The first layer
seemed 10 De th1nned almost to nothing in spots
at the convexity OF the convolution. The depths
corresponding to these spots, perhaps little
second, fourth, and fth layers, especially in the
two latter, the blood vessels presented, in a
marked degree degenerations similar to those re-
marked In the corpus strtctum. In the second,
fourth and fifth layers the percellular spaces
both OF the neuroglta cells and Of the ganglionic
cOrpuscles were more or less filled with lymphoid
cells. In these layers some ganglion nerve cells
were also quite freely pfgmented. Sometimes one
half the body of the cell was densely packed with
augmented granuleS to such an extent as to veil
the nucleus, but the latter well the enclosed
nucleous, even then could generally be dlscerned,
although with difficulty.
This cellular hyperplasia was much more marked
in the fourth and fifth layers than elsewhere and
here there was an obereous tendency to distribu-
ton en- plaques. In the subjacent white nerve
hbrous substance the vessels were also sometimes
slightly altered. and few examples OF cellular
hyperplasia along the nerve bundles, much as was
described for the corpus stratum, were rarely
seen But few recent hemorrhages were visible In
Conrextty Nos. /, z, a-The same abnormal ap-
pearances were remarked in all these sections,
that they were usually Identical with those noted
In sections from the frontal region the only differ
ence e worth nm, mentioning being the fact that the
areas In which the vessels offered a granular de-
generation were much less numerous and exten.
slve than In the frontal region In the foregoing
specially mentioned were found in q condition so
nearly normal as to call for no remark 1t should
, 0e stated, however, that In these various brain
found Whether these forms were real cavities or
were Transparent, highly refracting bodies OF a
the method OF preparation, the committee do not
undertake to say. Neither do they, In view OF the
widespread difference Of opinion among observers,
feel warranted in expressing positive opinion as
70 whether or not these sO-called vacuoles are
70 De regarded as post mOrtem changes
bearing somewhat against the assumption OF
post mortem origin for such appearances In gen.
eral, the following facts, besides many other con-
SideratiOns, may be referred to:
First They are not constantly found In brains |
which have been obtained thirty-six and forty |
eight hours after death, long after decomposition
has set in.
Second. They have not infrequently been found |
In brains OF animals killed for the purpose OF ex-
pertinent, when the nervous tissue has been In |
stanty subjected to the action OF the most perfect
preservat1ve fluids
Third They have been met with when the brain |
substance has been examined perfectly fresh.
Fourth. Ii they are the result OF post mortem I
change they should not be met with Immediate |
after death, but should appear and increase In |
numbers as decomposition advances Yet no such |
relation to the time OF death and state of oecom-
position has been observed for them.
In estimating the significance OF theee vncuolco |
In Guiteau's brain It should oe remembered that |
the specimens were obtained and submitted 20 tho
action OF the preServative agents not more than
ye or SIX hours after death, an early period rarely
possible with human SUBJECTS that the microscope
showed the elements Of the brain we'll psuoerv.
ed In other respects: that In some brains Examined
1orty.eght hours after 0eath There Appearances