, 1888-07-18
A RABBITS NERVE
GIVEN TO A VIENNA PHYSICIAN BY
A SURGICAL OPERATION.

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. 1t appears that
DIR. Won Fleischl, sixteen wears ago, ncci-
d~entally wounded himself while conduct
ing a post norton examination, and that
the consequent Inflammation 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 was performed,
but was followed. according to the report,
by the formation Of 'neuroma." At this
point the history becomes q little vague,
because the word 'neuroma," which Is
most properly applied to a class OF tumors
which form upon nerves and which con
sist mainly of redundant nerve tissue, is
applied with less exactness to tumors of
other kinds of which nerves may be the
seat, and Is applied also to dubious en-
largements of the proximal examinations
of divided nerves, engagements which
sometimes occur after the best performed
amputations, which seem to depend on
some personal popularity of the patient,
which are liable to recur again and again
after repeated amputations further back,
and which are attended by the most ago
MIXING suffering.
FROM A RABBIT.
1t may be presumed that the neuromata
of Professor Won Fleischl were Of the lat
ter class; and. in the hope of obtaining
relief, he underwent several fruitless
operations, which were directed to dis
secting out and removing portions of the
nerves implicated, without recourse being
had to more extended amputation Of
other structures. He appears to nave
been deprived, in succession, of consider
able portions of the nerves supplying the
stump of the thumb, both sides of the
forefinger, and the inner side Of the mid
die finger; but after every such operation
the former conditions were renewed in the
portions which were left, while the his
tory of many similar cases had been such
as to justify the most dismal forecasts of
his future. In these circumstances the
Ideas of repairing the nerves and of re-
placing the missing portions by fresh
nerve taken from a rabbit suggested itself
to DR.. Gersung. and this proceeding
seems, as far as can at present be judged,
to have been attended by complete and
most gratifying success.
The nerves of the animal body are
ibers 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-
tion, and which nave no other function
han to convey the impression from the
outposts of the body to the brain or spi-
nal cord, or, in the opposite direction,
stimuli from the brain or spinal cord,
which call external parts into action. Ali
nerves appear to be alike, and the differ
ent functions to which they are subser-
Went depend not upon any difference of
the nprVaa fhpmGp1Uaa lint uDnp ItHn,,
ences In the parts from which they go.
Just as the same telegraph wire will
move a needle or ring a bell, or perform
any other duty to which electricity NAV
be applicable. according to the character
of the apparatus with which it Is con.
nected, so any nerve will 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 to h optic nerve Of hearing pro-
duces a sensation as of light, and no other.
THE NwARDNEss OF IT.
But the effect thus produced by stimu-
latlng Il given nerve does not depend on
h nerve itself, which Is q mere trans
hitting medium, but entirely upon the
central organ, in the brain or spinal cord,
to which the stimulus is conveyed. If we
could N the auditory nerve with the
center of sight and the optic nerve with
the center of hearing, stimulation of the
former would produce impressions of light
and stimulation of the latter would pro.
duce impressions of sound-a fact which
has been abundantly demonstrated by ex-
pertinent Oh nerves in more accessible
situations. And. Just as there is nothing
special in any Individual human nerve,
and as any one of them would be capable
of discharging the duty of any other, 80,
1t may be assumed, there Is no difference
W. the endowments of the nerves of
man and those of the lower animals, which
fulfill identical functions in an identical
manner.
1t vas therefore inherently probable
that the nerve of an animal, II a piece
could be obtained Of the proper size and
length, and if transportation and union
could be successfully effected, would
suffice to make good any loss of nerve in
man, and In the present instance, which
is. we believe. the first of the kind on
record, not only have the transplantation
md union been successful, but the new
piece of nerve seems to nave overcome the
tendency OF the old to undergo degenera-
ton of structure at its divided extremity.
A portion, six centimeters In length. of
the great nerve of the rabbits thigh was
selected, and was 30 removed from the
freshly killed animal as to include the
uhtural DlIurcatlOn OF the main trunk Into
two branches. The divided stem was Sc
cured by stitches to the stump of the
nerve In Professor Won Fleischl's arm,
and the end of the branches were
secured in like manner to the nerve
examinations which remainedi in his fingers,
and which were rendered useless by
their separation from the trunk to which
they belonged.
The whole operation, as a matter of
course, was conducted with strict ad-
herence to those principles of antiseptic
surgery without which failure would have
been more than likely, but by the observ-
ance of which, union, almost anywhere or
of any thing, can with a near approach to
certainly be secured The wound healed
kindly, the transplanted nerve soon be-
came at home in It's new position, and al
ready, after the lapse of a little more than
two months, it is reported that sensation
is returning to the fingers. AtNthe same
time there has been no return of pain,
and no fresh indication of the develop
ment of neuromata, SO that the hope of
an absolutely successful issue may now
with some confidence be entertained
London World.
An Overdose.