Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-18
PROGRESS IN SURGERY,
Remarkable Advance Ina the Science
In keccnt Xears.

PROGRESS IN SURGERY.
Advance Ina the Science
In Recent Years..
In the Lancet Of Decem Der 20, 1884,
DIR. Bennett and Mr. Godlee published
en- article which startled the surgical
world. DR.. Bennett had diagnosticated
not only the existence, but the actual 10
cality Of tumor in the brain, of which
rot the least visible evidence existed on
the exterior of the skull, and asked Mr..
Godlee to attempt its removal. The head
YVES opened and the brain exposed. No
tupor was seen, but 30 certain were they
of the diagnosis that Dir. Godiee boldly
cut open the healthy brain and diecev-
cred tumor the size OF walnut, and
removed it. After doing we'll for three
weeks Inflammation get in, and the
patient died on the twenty-sixth day.
But, like the failure Of the first Atlantic
cable, il pointed the way to success,
and now there have been twenty tumors
removed from the brain, of which
seventeen have been removed from
the cerebrnm, with thirteen recoveries,
and three from the more dangerous re-
gion OF the csrebellum, all OF which
proved fatal. Until this recent innova-
ton, every case Of tumor OF the brain was
absolutely hopeless. The size of the
tumors successfully removed has added
to the astonishment with which surgeons
view the fact of their ability to remove
them at all. Tumors measuring as much
as three and four inches in diameter, and
weighing from q quarter to over third
OF pound, have been removed, and the
patients have recovered.
Another disease formerly almost in
variaDly fatal is abscess of the brain. In
the majority OF cases this comes as re-
suit of long.standing disease OF the ear,
which, after while, involves the bone
and finally the brain. 50 long ago as
1879 Mr.. MaceweD, Of Glasgow, dag
nosticated an abscese in the brain, and
wished TO operate on it. The parents
declined the operation, and the patient
died. After death Mace wen operated
precisely az he would have done during
life, found the abacess and evacuated the
pus, thua showing how he could proba-
bly, have saved the chlld's life. Since
then the cases treated in such a manner
amount to scores, and more than half OF
them have recovered without a bad
symptom.
In injuries Of the skull involving the
brain the large arteries are sometimes
wounded, and the blood that is poured
out between the ekull and the brain pro.
duces such pressure as to be speedily
fatel. In come cases, even without any
wound, tho larger arteries are ruptured
by blow or fall, and sin.ilar result
follows the hemorrhage. Nowadays in
both OF these injuries any we'll
instructed surgeon will open the
head, secure the bleeding vessel
and turn out the clot, with good
chance Of recovery in large numbe OF
cases. Even gun-shot wounds of the
brain are no longer necessarily fatal.
Among large nun Der Of other succsss.
ful casec one has been recently reported
in which the ball went all the way from
the forehead to the back OF the head
and after striking the bone, reboundso
into the brain. The back of the ekull
was opened, the ball removed, and q
rubber drainage tube of the calibre OF
lead pencil passed in the track of the ball
completely through the head, and tho pa.
tiens recovered. So little danger now at.
taches to opening OF the skull, with anti.
septic precautions similar to those
already described, that the latest writer
on trephining (SeydeD estimates that
trephining per se is fatal only in ! per
cent. of the cases. Mr. Horsley has
recently published q most remarkable
paper, including ten operations on the
brain in which, without anything on the
exterior to indicate its situation, the ate
OF the disease was correctly located in
all, and nine OF them recovered aft. r
operation.
Almost equally astonishing are the re.
suits OF brain surgery in certain cases of
epilepsy for the surgical treatment ,f
the cases justifying such inte,fet encp.
has been attended with the most bri,.
liant results. In these cases the spagm
begins in particular part of the body
for example, the hand or the thumb, or
1t is limited to ono arm, or to one side
OF the body. Some OF them have been
operated upon without any benefir,
but large number OF other cases
have been operated on and either
benefited, or, in not few eases, have
been completely restored to health.
That the words brilliant resul 8" are
not inappropriate will certainly be-
granted when we look at Mr.. Horsley'a
table OF cases. One patient had 2 $40
epileptic commissions in thirteen days,
and completely recovered, not only from
the operation, but also from his terrible
alter the removal Of diseased
portion OF the brain. the results Of
an old depressed fracture OF the
pknll. Besides this, few cases Of head.
ache so invelerate as to make ordinary
occupations impossible, and life itself
burden, have been cured by trephining
The skull. Even insanity itself has beer
cured by such an operation in cases In
which it has followed Injuries to the
head. What the ultimate result Of these
recently inaugurated operations will be
I is Impossible to tell as yet, but thu.
'ar they have been so beneficial and 80
wonderful as to arouse not only our
greatest sstoniehmant, but also our most
hopes. w. w. Keen in
Harper.
How 30 Get Rich.
Whav, pn,.ati N.vo +-.x...i. - =