Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-07-16
a RABBITS NERVE
GIVEN TO A VIENNA PHYSICIAN BY
A SURGICAL OPERATION.

The Great Nerve OF = Rabbits Thigh
Placed in Professor Fleischrs Arm-A
Somewhat Technical Description of tho
Case-The Results.
The operation was performed by DR..
Gersung, of Vienna, aud the patient was
Professor Won Fleischl. the distinguished
occupant of the chair OF physiology in the
university of that city. 1t appears that
DR.. Won Flcischl. sixteen years ago, acci-
dental led himself while conduct.
ing ,.O-. lortem 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 little vague,
because the word ''neuroma, which is
most properly applied TO 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 bulbous en-
largements of the proximal terminations
of divided nerves, enlargements 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
nizing suffering.
NERVE FROM y RABBIT.
1t may be presumed that the neuromata
"a r. NJ Il. Al.
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 have
been deprived, in succession, of consider
able portions of the nerves supplying tho
stump of the thumb, both sides of the
forefnger, 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 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
fbers 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.
II. 1. r. -
than 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. All
nerves appear to be alike, and the differ.
ent functions to which they arc subser-
Went depend not upon any difference OF
the nerves themselves, but upon differ
ences in the parts from which they go.
Just as the same telegraph wire will
move needle or ring bell, or perform
any other duty to which electricity may
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 it be brought into connection
with the apparatus to which the other
rightfully belongs. Whatever stimulus is
applied to the optic nerve of hearing pro.
duces sensation as of light, and no other.
THE INwARDNEss OF 1T.
But the effect thus produced by stimu.
lating a given nerve does not depend on
the nerve itself, which is mere trans.
mitting medium, but entirely upon the
central organ, in the brain or spinal cord,
to which the stimulus is 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-
duce impressions of sound-a fact which
has been abundantly demonstrated by ex-
pertinent on 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, so,
it may be assumed, there is no difference
between the endowments of the nerves of
man and those of the lower animals, which
fulfill identical functions In en- identical
manner.
It was therefore inherently probable
that the nerve of an animal, il piece
could be obtained of the proper size and
length and if transplantation and union
could be successfully effected, would
suffice to make good any loss of nerve in
man, and in the present instance, which
is. wc believe, the 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 tho
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 so removed from the
freshly killed animal as TO include tho
natural bifurcation of the main trunk into
two branches. The divided stem was Sc
cured by stitches to the stump Cf the
nerve In Professor Won F1eischls arm,
and the ends of the branches were
secured in like manner to the nerve
examinations which remained in his fingers,
and which were rendered useless by
their separation from the trunk to which
they belonged.
The whole operation, as . matter of
course, was conducted with glrict ad-
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