The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-14
IMPORTANT To DOCTORS.
An Extraordinary Surgical Operation
Opening Mans Skull and Cutting Out
TumOr.


a TumOr.
London Times-l
LONDON, Dec. l6.-While the Bishop OF
Oxford and Professor RCsEin were on some
what intangible grounds, denouncing vivisec-
ton at Oxford Last Tuesday afternoons
there sat at one of the windows of
the Hospital for Epilepsy and Paralysis in
Regents Park in an invalid chair, propped
up with pillows pale and carewora. but
with hopeful smile on his fsce-a man
who could have spoken q really pertinent
word on the subject, and told the right
reverend prelate and great art critic that he
owed mis- life. and his wife and children
penury, to some of these experiments
Oh living animals which they so roundly
condemned. The case of this ma
has been watched with intense interest
by the medical profession, for it is OF a
unique description, and inaugurates new
era in cerebral surgery and, now that 1t has
been brought to a successful issue, it seems
desirable that brief outline of it should be
placed before the general public, because il
illustrates wildly the benefits that physlo-
logical explorations may confer on mankind,
shows how speedily useful fruit may be
gathered from researches undertaken in the
pursuit Of knowledge and with no immedi-
ate prscticsl aim, and reveals impresiively
the precision and Yelacity of modern med
icsl science.
This case. then-this impressive aud Illus
srstive case-is that of q man who, when
admitted to the hospital for epilepsy and
paralysis presented q group of symptoms
which pointed to tumor OF the brain-s dis
tressiDg and hitherto necessarily fatal NAL
sdy, for tie diagnosis or recognition OF
which we are indebted 10 bedside experince
and post mortem examination. Bat while
clinical and pathological observations have
supplied us with knowledge which ena.
bles Us to detect the existence of tn
mors of the brain. they have not afforded
rs any clew to the situation OF these morbid
growtha in the broin-masa, and it was not
until Professor FerIier had, by his expert
nents on animals, demonstrated the rsalizs-
1ior of Bensory and motor functions in the
srebIal hemispheres that the position OF
my diseased process by which they might be
iDvaved could be definitely determined. By
the light of these experiments il ia now
possible in many instances to map out the
eat of certain pathological changes in those
Eemisperes with as much neicety and
certainty as IL the skull and its coverings
and Innings had become transparent, so that
the surface OF the brain was exposed to d.
rect inspection. And thus in the case to
which / am referring DR.. Hughes Bennett,
under whose care the patient wac, guided by
Terriers experiments, skillfully Interpreted
the palsies and cOnvuleive movements which
the man exhibited and deduced from them
that q small tumor was lodged at
one particular point in his dome of
thought" and was silently and relentlessly
eating its way into surrounding textures.
Not more surely do the fgetiDgs of the etec-
tic needle intimate their origin and convey
meaning to the telegraph clerk than did
the twitehings of this mans muscles an
neunce to DR.. Hughes Bennett that tumor
OF limited dimensions was ensconced ct
particular point of q particular fold or con-
volution of the bTain-fbe ascending froHtel
convolution on the right side. Very bril-
liant diagnosis this, it may be remarked,
and nothing more.
stood faithfully explsinded to him. He was
told that be labored under mslady which
medicines were powerless to touch. and that
IL left unassisted ne mast die in few
months at latest after prolonged suffering5
similar TO those which had already brought
him % the verge Of exhaustion, and which
could only be partially alleviated by drugs;
but that enc outlet Of escape, narrow and
dangerous, but still an outlet, was open to
him IN an operation of q formidable nature
and never before performed on q human
being. under which he might perhaps sink
and die, but from which he might osr-
haps obtain complete relief. The rian,
who had faith In his doctor and no fne-spun
scruples about awaiting himself of the results
of vivisectional discoveries, eagerly chose
the operation. The 18th ult., accordingly,
Mr.. Godlee, surgeon to University College
Hospital, in the midst of an earnest and
anxious band of medical men, made sn
opening In the scalp. skull and brain-mem-
braDes OF this man at the point where Dr.
Hughes Bennett had placed his divining
finger, the point corresponding with the
coDyolution where he declared the peccant
body to be, and where sure enough it was
discovered, In the substance Of the brain,