The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-12
TO DOCTORS.
An Extraordinary Surgical Operation
Opening a Mans Skull and Cutting Out
"a Tumor.

An Extraordinary Surgical Operation
Opening a Mans Skull and Cutting Out
"a Tumor.
London Times
LONDON, Dec. 16.-While the Bishop of
Oxford and Professor Ruskin were on some
what intangible grounds, denouncing ~vivisec-
ton at OXf0rd last Tuesday afternoon,
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, pSle and care bat
with q hopeful smile on his face-a man
who could have spoken a really pertinent
word on the subject, and told the right
reverend prelate and great art critic that he
owed his life, and his wife and children
their rescue from bereavement and
penury, TO some of these experiments
on living animals which they so roundly
condemned. The case of this man
has been watched with intense interest
by the medical profession, for it is of a
unique description, and i~naugurates a new
era in cerebral surgery; and, now that it has
been brought to a successful issue, it seems
desirable that q brief outline OF it should be
placed before the general puolic, because IL
illustrates wildly the benefits that physI0-
logical explorations may confer on mankind,
shows how speedily useful fruit may be
gathered from researches undertaken in tbs
pursuit OF knowledge and with no immedi-
ate practical aim, and reveals impresiiveiy
the precision and Yeracity of modern med
ical science.
This case. then-this impressive aud illus.
srative csse-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-a dis.
tressiDg and hitherto necessarily fatal NAL
adv, for the diagnosis or recognition Of
which we are indebted to bedside experince
and post mortem examination. But while
clinical and pathological observations have
supplied US with knowledge which ena.
bles rs. to detect the existence of tu-
mors OF the brain. they have not afforded
Us any clew to the situation OF these morbid
growths in the brain-mass, and it was not
until Professor Terrier had, by his expert
ments on animals, demonstrated the realizs-
ton of sensory and motor functions in the
cerebral hemispheres that the position of
| aEy diseased process by which they might be
invaved could be definitely determined. By
the light of these experiments it is now
possible in many instances to map out the
seat Of certain pathological changes In those
hemisperes with as much neicety and
certainty IS il the skull and its coverings
and Innings had become transparent, so that
the surface OF the brain was exposed to di.
rect inspection. And thus In the case TO
which / am referring DR.. Hughes Bennett,
under whose care the patient was, guided by
Terriers X experiments, skillfully interpreted
the palsies and ~convulsive movements which
the man exhibited and deduced from them
that a 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 ~fgetings of the cleo
tric needle intimate their origin and convey
q meaning to the telegraph clerk than did
the twitchings of this mans muscles an
neuncet TO DR.. Hughes Bennett that a tumor
Of limited dimensions was ensconced at q
particular point of a particular fold or con.
volution of the brain-the ascending frontal
convolution on the right side, Very bril-.
liant diagnosis this, it may be remarked,
and nothing more.
The patient had the position in which he
stood faithfully explainded to him.. He was
| told that ne labored under a malady which
medicines were powerless to touch, and that
If left unassisted he must die In q few
months at latest, after prolonged suferings
similar TO those which had already brought
| him to the verge of exhaustion, and which
could only be partially alleyiated by drugs
bat that one outlet of escape, narrow and
dangerous, but still an outlet, was open 70
him IN an operation of a formidable nature
and never before Performed on q human