The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-10-02
EPILEPSY
New Era In Surgery TO Rid the Race of
One of Its Greatest Curses.


From the London Times.l
At the meeting on August 4 OF the
British Medical Association at Bright
on, Victor Horsley, f. r. s., surgeon
to the National hospital for the para
lyzed and epileptic, exhibited three pa
tients, treated in that hospital, whose
recovery may be said to mark the
commencement OF a new era In surgery.
They are men who have been suffering
from severe epileptic fits, and in whom
Mr.. Horsley has opened the skull and
removed diseased structure or new
growth from the brain itself.
In the most recent OF these three the
operation was performed on the 18th
OF July, SO that complete month has
elapsed; and the patient was sufficient
ly well TO take a journey to Brighton.
The other two cases were operated up
on, one a week or two and the other
several weeks earlier; and in none OF
the three has there been any symptom
to interfere with the prompt and COM
plete recovery. So far, also, the men
are cured OF their epilepsy; but a con-
siderable time must be permitted to
elapse before any claim Tor perma-
nence of result can be established.
What is actually proved at present Is
that it has become possible, by the OBJ
servation OF symptoms, not only to
determine the fact OF the existence OF
some morbid growth within the skull,
but also to determine its precise posi-
tion with such accuracy that it can be
cut down upon aud removed. 1t is
also proved that considerable por-
IS he, -al h
out injury, the functions to which
these portions are subservient being
performed, after a while, very possi-
bly,, by corresponding parts of the op-
posite hemisphere.
In two OF Mr.. Horsley's patients
there had been injuries, and one Of
them had been trephined for the pur-
pose OF elevating portions OF bone
which were depressed by fracture of
his skull; so that in both OF these To-
calization was assisted by manifest ex-
ternal Indication; but in the third
there was nothing of this kind, and the
point at which the skull should be
opened was determined solely by the
fact that the fits commenced III par
ticular groupo muscles-those, name
ly, which act upon the left thumb.
The physician in charge OF the case was
able to say that this manner OF COM
mencement pointed certainly to the
presence OF a continuing source OF irri-
tation near the surface OF the brain at
a definite spot; and, the surgeon hay
ing opened the skull at the point indl-
Gated, tumor was found embedded
in the brain substance, and together
with q portion of the brain surround
ing it, was removed, so far with alb
solute cessation OF the fits which were
previously not only very frequent,
but, as might have been expected,
, were also increa sing alike in frequency
aud in severity, and were such as to
| disable the patient from following any
occupation, not to say that they
placed his life in constant jeopardy
from accident. There are two con-
tingencies in relation TO the cases
which render il impossible to predict
| with certainty the permanence OF the
results obtained, and these are: First
That the scar which must form in
or upon the brain tissue may possibly
| itself become a scOurce OF irritation;
and second, that a second proportion
OF the brain tumOr8, or of tumors in
other parts OF the body, are OF a ma
ture to render recurrence possible or
probable.
We have here, then, as "F. Z. s."
pointed out in relation to the former
case, an illustration of the value and
usefulness OF xperimentation on liv
ing animals DR.. Hitzig and DR.. Far
rier commenced to experiment on liv-
ing animals by applying the stimula-
tion OF weak galvanlc currents to por-
tions OF the brain, that the offices OF
these portions became known, and
then it was found that the brain sur
face is largely made up OF what are
called motor areas-that Is to say, OF
regions which excite movements, each
in its special part OF the body. Lo-
calization is as yet only in its infancy,
but even now a skilltul experimenter,
by stimulating in succession different
parts Of the brain, can cause q mar
cotized, and, therefore, unconscious
animal to perform a considerable va
riety OF actions with perfect precision;
and it has been found, for example,
that a portion OF the brain surface
which the phrenologist asserted to be
the seat OF ideality or acqulsitiveness
or some such rubbish, is in reality the
exciting center OF the movements OF
the left thumb. 1t was the applica-
ton OF this particular piece OF knowl-
edge which enabled the medical staff
of the National hospital to point out
the seat OF the diseasein IN Mr.. HOrsley's
third patient.