The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-24

mother, though a stout, rugged woman, was
unable to furnish enough milk to satisfy
him when babe, and his thirst seemed to
increase with age. 1t could not be quenched.
No matter how much he drank, he wanted
more, and the persistent taking of large
quantities Of fluid distended the abdomen
until it became
ALMOST A DEFoRMITY.
He did not care for solid food, and would
only take nourishment in fluid form. In
stances Of abnormal thirst have sometimes
followed severe injuries, but this case was
certainly phenomenon, and could only be
explained on the theory that the nerve CEN
tiers of thirst were enormously developed.
While Tefft was yet lad he got taste for
liquor, and from the moment that the first
drop passed between his lips he yearned for
it. He had to be taken from school on &C
count of drunkenness, and before he became
OF age was locked up in an inebriate asylum
at Fort Hamilton. There was a fair-slzed
fortune handed over to him when he be-
came 81. 1t all went for rum, and he be-
came ....... ......
AN oUTCAST, PAUPER AND THIEF.
He was taken from the tombs to Bellevue
suffering from delirium tremens, and his
peculiar thirst attracted the attention of
physicians All drunkards will beg and
pray for rum, but with him it was the cry
OF q lost soul from HadeS.
DIR. Sweasey has for long time been ex-
perimenting on nerve centers, and has
written much on the subject. In the lower
animals, by exposing the brain in different
parts of the head he has been able, by cleo
tricity and other methods applied directly to
the brain, to control the action of certain
muscles and organs, and also to co npletely
check for a limited time the movement
of the heart and respiratory apparatus. He
\ l,,,o -,
which is intimately associated with the
nerves of thirst, and which controls the de-
sire of fluids. 1t was the result of al injury
received in the head of a man by a kick from
horse, and is not necessary to be detailed
here. The precise location of this nerve
center is ia the upper part of the back head
above the occipital protuherance, By irri-
tating this part of the brain in dogs an
artificial desire for water was created, and
the animal fairly asked for something to
drink. When left alone the dogs thirst be-
came natural.
The case of Tefft afforded an excellent
opportunity to test the utility of the dis
covery, but the situation was one that
hardly rendered trial justifable, and it
was only by practicing a certain amount of
false preteuse upon him that his consent
was obtained to
AN OPERATION.
after his system had been toned up as much
as possible, id the scalp was removed from
the skull directly over the nerve center of
thirst An opening was made through the
skull with a trephine ab ut an inch in
diameter, and the openi was enlarged
and made oval III shape with bone forceps.
The skull at this point was easily twice as
thick as usual, and it gradually fell away
to the natural thickness. This indicated that
fhpra "A
the brain in this part of the head, and sim
ply the removal of the bone might have re-
suited in curing the patient. But it was too
good case to miss the establishment of a
fact, if such a thing were possible, and in
the interest of science the operation was
continued. The brain was punctured close
to the lower edge of the opening that had
been made, and an incision was made
around the territory where the nervous
power was supposed to be located. The
brain, to the depth of quarter of an inch,
was
CAREFULLY DISSECTED OUT.
The brain rose slightly in the wound, but
there was q pelceptibla hollow left. The
wound was dressed with the create It care,
every atom of foreign substance being re-
moved, and the scalp was brought into posi-
tion. Two fine bone drainage tubes were
deserted, and the head was wrapped up iu
antlseptic bandages. 1t was an alarming
risk to take, but it is boldness and determi-
nation that brings success in surgery as in
anything else.
The patient was constantly under the sur
geon's eye, aud he took special pains to pre-
vent disease germs from coming in contact
with the wound, aud saved the patients life
1t was close CALI ia the chances ever
against recovery for d week. The result is
even better than was anticipated. The
patient not only does not desire stimu-
lants, but he has lost the idea of
thirst altogether. He refuses to take food
in the liquid form, for which be always had
a preference, and'eaps solids with relish.
1t is three weeks Jsince the operation. The
patient is fast recovering strength, and
while his system was so badly shattered by
dissipation that he will never be thoroughly
sound. it is certain that he will remain tenn
perate for the rest of his life.