Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-31
EPILEPSY DURABLE.
A New Era In Surgery Which Promises to
Rid the World of n Great Curse.

Rid the World of n Great Curse.
At the meeting of the British Medi'
cal Association at Brighton, Mr.. Victor
Horsley, f. r. S.. Surgeon to the Ma
tional Hospital for the Paralyzed and
Epileptic, exhibited three patients
treated in 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
epileptic fits, and in whom Mr.. Horsely
has opened the skull aud removed dis
easod structure or new growth from the
brain tself
In the most recent of these three the
operation was performed on the 18th
OF July, and the patient was sufficiently
well to take the journey TO Brighton.
| The other two cases were operated
upon, one 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 con-
siderable time must be permitted to
elapsc before any claim for permanence
of result can be established. What is
actually proved at present is that it has
become possible, by the observation of
symptoms, not only to determine the
fact of the existence of some morbid
growth within the skull, but also to de-
termine its precise position with such
accuracy that it can be cut down upon
and removed. 1t is also proved that
considerable portions OF brain may be
removed without injury, the functions
to which these portions are subservient
being performed, after awhile, very
possibly, by corresponding parts of the
opposite hemisphere.
In two of Mr.. Horsley's patients,
there had bcena injuries, and one of
them had been previously trephined
for the purpose of clcyatng portions
of bone which were depressed by frac-
ture of his skull; so that in both OF
these localizatiou was assisted by man
ifest external indications; 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 in Il
} particular group OF muscles-those
namely, which act upon the left thumb.
The physician in charge of the east
was able to say that this manner o.
commencement pointed certainly tt
fk.,. .f n
) Irritation near the surface of the brair
) at definite spot and, the surgeon
: having opened the skull at the poin
, indicated, tumOr was found imbeddeC
r in the brain substance. and, togethe
with portion of brain surrounding it
5 was removed, so far with absolute ces
l sation of the fits, which were prcviousl,
. not only very frequent, but, as nigh
Q have been expected, were also increas
0 ing alike in frequency and in severity
and were such us to disable the patien
! from following any occupation, not t
D say that they placed his life in conStan
jeopardy from accident. There ar
, two contingencies in relation to tn
Q cases which render it impossible {
r pred ct with certainty the permanenc
y of the results obtained, and these are
, first, that the scar which must form
u or upon the brain tissue may possibl
: itself become a source of irritation
:; time; and, secondly, that second pr,
portion Of brain tumors, MS of tumol
u In other parts OF the body, arc OF ma
: ture to rcnder recurrence possible {
u probable.
u We have here, then. an illustratio
= of the value and usefulness OF expel
L mentation on living animals. d
Y Hitzig and DR.. Fcrrier commenced
T. experiment upon living animals BY a
: plying the stimulation of weak ga Ivan
II currents to different portions Of Il
B. brain. that the Offices Of these portion
y became known, and then it was fOur
- that the brain surface is largely mal
II up of what are technically called mot
1t areas that is to say, of regions whi,
~ excite movements, each in its ospeci
=, ., part of the body. Localization is
u u yet only in its infancy, but even nc
y Il skillful eXperimenter by stimulatil
y in succession different parts of the brai
~ can cause a narCotized and thereto
W unconscious animal to perform co
>, siderable variety of actions with perfe
~ ~ precision, and it has been found, f
y example, that a portion of the bra
" surface which tho phronologist assert
to be the seat of identity, or acquisitiy
., ness, or some such rubbish, is in reali
" y, the exciting center of the movements
~ " the left thumb. 1t was the Applicant
= of this particular piece of knowled
A. which enabled the medical staff of
T. National Hospital to point out the Sc
r. OF tho disease in Mr., Horsley's th
nd patient London Times,