The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-06
A RABBITS NERVE
GIVEN TO a VIENNA PHYSICIAN BY
A SURGICAL OPERATION.
The Great Nerve Of = Rabbits Thigh
Placed In Professor Flcischrs Arm-A
Cssc-Tho Results.

Case-Tho Results.
The operation was performed by DR..
Gersung, Of Vienna. and the patient was
Professor Won Fleischl. the distinguished
occupant OF the chair of physiology in the
university of that city. # appears that
DIR. Won Ileischi, sixteen years ago. acct
dentally wounded himself while conduct
ing post norton examination. and that
the consequent inilammatiO ION Of his right
arm and hand led ultimately to the loss
Of the terminal joint of his thumb. The
end of the stump became painful. and in
the hope OF relieving this pain amputatiOn
somewhat further back vas performed,
but was followed, according 10 the report,
bv the formation Of "neurOma Al this
point the history becomes little vague.
because the word "neuroma, which Is
most properly applied 10 a class Of tumors
which form upon nerves and which con
sist mainly of redundant nerve tissue Is
applied with less cXactness to tumOrS Of
other kinds of which nerves may be the
scat. and is applied also to Dubious en-
largcments Of the proximal examinations
of divided nerves enlargements which
sometimes occur after the best performed
amputations, which seem to depend on
some personal popularity Of the patient,
which arc liable to recur again and again
after repeated amputatiOus further back
and which are attended by the most ago
MIXING suffering
NERVE FROM RABBI
il may be presumed that the neuromats
of Professor Won Fleischl were of the lat
ter class, and, in the hope of obtaining
.I...
operations. which were directed to dis
scctng ont and removing portions Of the
nerve, implicated, without iccoursc being
had to more extended amputation OF
other structures. He appears 10 have
been deprived, in succession. of consider
able portioi'5 of the nerves supplying the
stump Of the thumb. both sides OF the
iorcdngcr and the iuuer side Of the mid
ole finger, Dut after every such operation
the former ctrIiti0ns were renewed in tho
portions Which were left while the his
tory OF maty similar cases had been such
as TO JuS/1y the most dismal forecasts OF
M-1rrurc In these circumstances the
ideas of repairing tine nerves and OF re
placing the missing portions by fresh
nerve taken from rabbit suggested itself
10 Dr.. Gcrsuuc. and this proceeding
SEEMS. as far as can at present be judged.
TO have been attended by complete and
most gratifying success.
Tie nerves of the animal body are
iibers Of peculiar organization, which are
more or less packed IN bundles or
trunks for the purposes Of distribu-
ton. but which are individually separate
and continuous from origin to termina
ton. and which have no other function
than 10 convey the imp cssion from the
outposis Of the body to the brain or spi-
nal cord. or. in the opposite direction,
stimuli from the brain on spinal cord,
which call external parts into action All
nerves appear 10 be alike, and the differ
ent functions TO which they are subser-
Went depend not upon any difference of
the nerves themselVcs. but upon differ
cuccs in the parts from which they 20.
just a. the same telegraph wire will
move needle on ring bell. on perform
any other duty 10 which electricity may
be- applicable. according To the character
of the apparatus with which il is con
nectcd. 80 amy nerve viii do the duty of
any other if 1t be- brought into connection
with the apparatus TO which the other
rightfully belongs Whatever stimulus is
applied 10 the optic nerve OF hearing pro
duces a sensation as OF light, and no other
THE INwARDNEss or IT.
But the effect thus produced by stimu-
lating n given nerve does not depend on
the nerve itself which is u mere trans
hitting medium, but entirely upon the
central organ, in the brain or spinal cord,
to which tho stimulus i conveyed If We
could connect the auditory nerve with the
center OF sight and the optic nerve with
the center of hearing. stimulation of tho
former would produce impressions of light
and stimulation of the latter would pro
ducc impressions of sonnd-a fnct which
has been abundantiy demonstrated 10y ex-
pertinent OH nerves I'm more accessible
situations And. just a. there IL nothing
special in any individual human nerve,
and as any one of them would he capable
Of discharging the duty Of any other, 50,
il may be assumed there is no difference
belN cen tho endowmentS OF The nerves OF
man and those OF the lower animals which
fulfill identical functions in an identical
manner
Ii was therefore inherently probable
that the nerve OF an animal il a piece
could DO obtained Of the proper size and
length. and if transportation and union
could be successfully effected would
suffice to make good amy loss OF nerve in
man, and in the present instance, which
is, we believe, tho first OF the kind on
record, not only have the transportation
and union been successful but the new
piece OF nerve seems to have overcome the
tendency of the old to undergo degenera
ton of structure at its divided extremity.
A portion, six oentimeters III length, OF
tho great ncrvo of the rabbits thigh was
selected, and was so removed from tho
freshly killed animal as 10 include the
natural bifurcation of the main trunk into
two branches. The divided stem was Sc
cured by stitches TO the stump Of the
nerve in Professor Won Fleschl's arm,
and the ends of the branches were
secured In like manner to the nerve
Examinations which remained ia bis fingers,
aud which wero rendered useless by
their separation from the trunk to which
they belonged.
g