Thomas County cat., 1890-10-30
MarVelS Of Surgery.

TO open the skull and penetrate the
brain is not so common surgical feat
that it has ceased to be a wonder. In
deed such an operation performed at the
Roosevelt hospital has attracted the at
tentiOn of the entire medical profession.
The patient, who is physician, was
thrown from his carriage last fall, strik-
ing heavily upon his head. He was re-
moved to his home, where, upon exami-
nation, no external evidence of fracture
of the skull was found Later paralysis
of the entire right side OF the body was
developed and with il complete in
ability to express his thoughts; in the
course of time the paralysis of the leg
gradually disappeared until the patient
could move it satisfactorily, but the
paralysis of the arm persisted, as well
as the inability to speak. After several
months. and while in this helpless and
well-nigh hopeless condition, the patient
was brought to this city. The physi-
clans who examined him concluded
that the trouble was due to pressure on
the brain, especially On that part of it
which governs the faculty of speech,
and that this pressure was probably
caused by a ciOt of blood, resulting from
the rupture of blood vessel within the
skull cavity at the time of the injury.
Acting upon this belief it was decid-
ed to open the skull, lay bare the sur
face of the brain and remove the cause
of pressure if possible. To determine
from the outside of mans head the
precise spot in the brain which governs
any particular faculty or function is
IL a
fully mapping out the head by the most
delicate measurements the spot CORES
ponding to the center of speech in the
brain was found. Then the patient
having beer, rendered unconscious by
ether. the surgeon. after the preliminary
incision of the scalp, removed hy means
of a trephine round disk of bone inn
mediately over the spot indicated. some
what enlarging with cutting forceps
the opening thus made The outer de-
licate membrane covering the brain
was now brought into view. Beneath
it lay large, dark mass of clOtted blood,
extending down into the substance of
the brain. The clOt was carefully re-
moved, when the effect of its pressure
was clearly preceived in the imp0ver-
ished circulation of the part. The
wound was then dressed with every
precautiOn and the patient was permit
ted to recover from the operation. The
following night, for the first time after
his injury, the patient was able to say
"Yes" and NO" The condition of his
right arm was also improved. and it is
believed that he will eventually recover
AS rule mutes are born deaf, but
sometimes severe diseases in infancy de-
stroy completely the sence of hearing.
Under these circumstances even par
tial recovery of hearing is extremely
rare. A girl who is now nineteen COM
plete]y lost her hearing when three
years old through an attack of cerebr0-
spinal meningitis, and in consequences
was brought up as deaf mute, attend
ing until recently the school of the deaf
and dumb asylum at FOrdham. Coming
to New Y Ork this spring she was placed
under treatment wit Insight hopes Of
benefit. Her physicians ascertained
that the delicate, nervous apparatus of
the internal ear was still sound, else the
case would have been hopeless Under
appropriate treatment, combined with
dilatation of the middle ear by imitation.
improvement was soon noticed. In1
month the young woman head the TEL.
ing of watch held twenty inches aunv
and conversation at q distances a. -.
feet, and then she began harnine -
to tflk. A month later ahe ool11 -
q watch ct q distance Of f1ve ~ s
ccc7trsation across the room. 5