Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-05
EPILEPSY.
New Era IN surgery Promisos To Kid the
Race of One OF Its CurAeh.
London Times.

New Era IN Surgery Promises To Kid I'll,
Race OF One OF Its OurAeh.
London Times.
At meeting August IA OF the British
Medical ASSOCIATION AT Brighton, MIR. Vic
tor Horsley, L. X. s., surgeon OF the Ma
tional hospital fer the paralyzed and cpl
leptlc, exhibited three patients, treated II
that hospital, whose recovery may be
said To mark the commencement Of new
era In surgery, They are men who have
been suffering from severe eplleptlc tis,
and In whom Mr. Horslcy has opened the
skull and has removed diseased structure
or new growth from tho brain Itself.
In the most recent Of the three the on
Grafton was performed the 18Th OF July,
so that complete mon h has elapsed ;
aud the patient was sufficiently wen TO
make the journey 20 Brighton. Tho other
two cases were operated upon, one a
week or two and the other several weeks
earllerj and IN none OF the three has
there been any symptom TO interfere with
prompt and complete recovery. SO far,
also, the men are cured OF their epilepsy
but a considerable time must elapse be-
fore any claim for permanency Of result
can be established What IL actually
possible, by the observation OF symptoms,
not only 10 determine the fact uf The
existence uf some morbid growth
within the skull, but also to determine
its precise position with such accuracy
that IL can be cut down upon and re-
moved " Is also proved that consider.
ablr portions 0f brain may be removed
without injury, the functions TO which
o.. al
formed, after while very possibly, by
corresponding parts OF the opposite
hemisphere.
In Two Of MIR, Horsley's patients there
had been Injuries, aud one OF them had
been previously ifephined for the pur.
pose OF elovat!ng portions OF bone witch
were depressed by fracture Of his skull,
10 that in both Of these looallzation was
assisted by manifest external indlca-
tons; but In the third there was
nothing OF this kind, and tho
point at which the skull should be
opened was determined solely by the
fact that the flts commenced Ia partlcu.
lar group OF muse es~-those, namely,
which act upon the left thumb. The
physician in charge % The case was able
10 say that this manner OF cOmmenc loent
y. Ted certainly 70 the presence of con-
tinuing source Of irritation near the sur
face OF the brain at definite spot and,
the surgeon having opened the skull NJ
the spot indicated, tumor was found
Undecided 10 the brain substance, and,
gether with a portion OF tie brain sur
n, MAS removed, 40
far with absolute cessation Of
the dts, which were previously not
only very frequent, but, as
might have been expected, were also IN /
creasing alike In frequency aud In sever /
NY, aud were such as ~ disable uhs I
patient from folio sing any occupation, not I
10 say thGt they plaesn hir iii1 In constant I
jeopardy from acsident' There ara two 4
In relation % the cases
which rendered II impossible 10 predict
With ceTtainty the p0rmanence VI the u
suits Obtaincd, anl these srr, iifsi, that 4
The soar which must fOrm ~ or upOl the I
brain Tissue moy possibly Itself become a
source ot irritation ~ times and secondly,
that second proportion Of pIail lumorr,
a. OF tumnrs 10 ether paris u tbe body,
ars Of naturc 20 fender recgrreuce
l,osNhlc or prdbable.
Ne have here, then, rs ~, x B."
polnted out IL relation 10 hs f0fiRrr case,
an Illustration ~ tbs gsiae anu useful
ness u xpFrimeniation 90 living ani-
Inais, pr liitzig and DR.. Ferrier com
lnenoed 70 experiment upon living anti
mnls by applying the stimulation OF weak
galyanIc cafFeuts 10 different portions Of
the brain, that the on es ~ these P0f.
tlons becalhe known, aud then u vas
found thar tbe brain Surface y lAfFny
made 40 Of what are technically cn'i-e I
molor arenst~thet n "a say, " rgElpna |
(. bIos trcl,e m0tensuia, sacn "a ~ ees
alclsl part d i1e body lsecA'iAatlon Y
& vel Only IA lis iniEncY, pnl even
lou sklilfull fxpcrimeuier, py slmu-
atlns IN sucoeabi0u dihvIeni pAf.t ~ wy
lraln, can cause RgFcptixea AAa tnefe'