The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-07-17

! SWIM W Auttos
To open the skull and penetrate tho
brais Is not 10 common q surzical feat
that 1t has ceased to be q wonder. In
deed, such an operation performed at the
Roosevelt hospital has attracted tie atten-
ton Of the entire medical profession.
The patient, who was a physician, was
thrown from his carriage last fall, stTik-
ing heavily npon his head. He was re-
moved to his home, where, upon exami-
nation, no external evidence Of fracture Of
The skull was found. A paralysis Of the
entire right side Of the body was devtl-
oPed, and with il complete inability to
express his thoughts; In the course Of
time paralysis Of the leg gradually dis
appeared until the patient could move It
satisfactorily, but the paralysis Of the
arm persisted, ss well us the inability TO
speak, says the New York Void. After
several months. and while in this help
less and well nigh hopeless condition, the
patient was brought to this city. The
physicians who examined him concluded
that the trouble was due to pressure on
the brain, especially on that part Of It
which governs the fsculty Of speech, and.
that this pressure was probably caused
by a eliot Of blood, resulting from the rup-
ture Of a blood vessel within the skull
cavity at the time Of the injury.
Acting upon this belief Il was decideS
to open the skull, lay bare the surface Of
the brain and remove the cause Of pres
snre, IL possible. To determine from the
outside Of q mans head the precise spot
10 the brain which governs any particu.
lar farnlty or function Ia obviously
difficult task, After carefully mapping
out the head by the most delicate meas.
urements the spot corresponding to the
renter Of speech In the brain was found.
Then the patient, having been rendered
unconscious by ether, the surgeon, after
the preliminary incision Of the scalp,
removed by means Of a trepline q round
disk Of bone Immediately over the spot
indicated, somewhat enlsrging with cut
ting fnrceps the opening thus made. The
Outer delicIte membrane covering the
brain was now brought into view. Be
meath Il lay large, dark mass Of clotted
blood, extending down into the substance
Of the brain. The eliot Was carefully re-
moved, when the eAat Of Its pressure
was clearly percrivediN the impoverished
circulation 81 the part. The wound was
thru dressed with every preCaution and
the patient was permitted to recover from
the operation. The following night. for
the first time after his injury, the patient
was able to say "Yes" aad NO." Tie
condition Of his right arm was also i'm
prnvel, and 1t is believed that he will
eventually recover.
As a rule mutes are horn deaf, but
sometimes severe diseases in infancy de-
stroy completely the sense Of hearing.
Under these circumstances even partial
recovery Of hearing Is very rare. A girl
who is now nineteen completely lost her
hearing when three years old through IN
attnck of cerebrospinal meningitis, and
in consequence was brought up as a deaf
mute, Attending until reren,ly the school
OF the deaf and dumb asylum at Ford
ham. Coming to New York this spring
she was placed under treatment with
slight hopes Of benefit. Her physicians
ascertained that tire delicate. nervous
ssparatus Of the internal ear was still
sound, else the Caso would have been
hopeless. Under appropriate treatment,
combined with Utilization Of the middle
ear by initiation, improvement was soon
noticed. In month the Young woman
heard the ticking Of a watch held twenty
inches away and conversation at dis
lance Of ten feet, and then she began
learning how TO talk. A month later she
could hear a watch at q distance Of Eve
feet and conversation across the room.