Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-01-10
Wonderful Achievements Of Surgery.

Ut. Dclucll anu MI. pou'SV PuS
lished an article which startled tn,
surgical world. DIR. Bennett had di
agnosticated not only the existence
but the exact locality OF a tumor il
the brain, of which not the least visi
lie evidence existed on the exterior
of the skull, and asked Mr.. Godlee &c
attempt its removal. The head wa:
opened and the brain exposed. Nc
tumor was seen. but so certain were
they of the diagnosis that Mr. Godlee
boldly cut open the healthy brain and
discovered a tumor the size OF wal
nut and removed it. After doing well
for three weeks Inflammation set in,
and the patient died on the twenty
sixth day. But, like the failure OF
the first Atlantic cable, it pointed the
way TO success, and now there have
been twenty tumors removed from
the brain, OF which seventeen have
been removed from the cerebrun
with thirteen recoveries, and three
from the more dangerous region OF
the cerebellum, all of which proved
fatal. Until this recent innovation
every case of tumor Of the brain was
absolutely hopeless. The size of the
tumors successfully removed has
added 70 the astonishment with which
surgeons view the fact of their ability
TO remove them at all Tumors meas
uring as much as three and four in
ches in diameter and weighing from
a quarter to over Il third OF pound,
have been removed, and the patients
have recovered. ~
Another disease formerly almost in-
variably fatal is abscess OF the brain.
In the majority of cases this comes as
a result of long standing disease OF
the ear, which, after a while, involves
the hone and finally the brain. So
long ago as 1879 MIR. Macewen, of
GLASGOW, diagnosticated an abscess
in the brain, and wished TO operate
upon it. The parents declined the
operation and the patient died. After
death Macewen operated precisely as
he would have done during lie,
found the abscess and evacuated the
pus, thus showing how he could prob
l. L.. l. ,.l . 4, ...ht 81 Since
then the cases treated in such a man
ner amount TO scores, and more than
half OF them recovered without bad
$! mptom.
In injuries OF the skull involving
the brain the larger arteries are some
times wounded, and the blood that Is
poured out between the skull and
the brain produces such pressure as
to be speedily fatal. In some cases,
even without any wound, the larger
arteries are ruptured by Il blow or
fall and a similar result follows the
hemorrhage. Nowadays, in both OF
these injuries, any well-instructed
surgeon will opeE the head, secure
the bleeding vessel, and turn out the
clot, with a good chance of recovery
in n large number of eases. Even
gunshot wounds Of the brain are no
longer necessarily fatal. Among
Of other successful cases 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, rebounded
into the brain. The back OF the skull
was opened, the ball removed, and
rubber drainage tube OF the caliber
OF lead pencil passed in the track
of the ball completely through the
head, and the patient recovered. so
little danger now attaches TO opening
the skull, with antiseptic precautions
similar TO those already described,
that the last writer on trephining
(Seydel) estimates that trephining
per Sc is fatal only in 1.6 per cent. OF
the cases. Mr. Horseley has recently
published most remarkable paper,
including ten operations Oh the brain,
in which, without anything on the
exterior TO indicate its situation, the
site Of the disease was correctly loca-
ted i'm all. and nine Of them recovered
after operation.
Almost equally astonishing are the
results OF brain surgery in certain
cases Of epilepsy, for the surgical
OF the cases justifying such
has been attended with
the most brilliant results. In these
cases the spasm begins in particu-
lar part OF the body. for example,
the hand or thumb, or IL IL limited to
one arm, or to one side Of the body.
Some Of them have been operated
upon without any benefit. but a large
number uf other cases have been ope-
rated I'm and either benefited, or, III
not few cases, have been completely
restored to health. That the words
brilliant results" are not inappro-
pirate will certainly be granted when
we look at Mr.. Horseley's table OF
cases. One patient lad 2,s7O epiIeptic
in thirteen days, and
recovered, not only from
the operation but also from the terri
BILE malady, after a removal of the
diseased portion Of the brain, the
result OF ali old depressed fracture OF
the skull. Besides this, a few cases
of headache so inveterate as to make
ordinary occupation impossible, and
life itself burden, have been cured
by trephining the skull. Even insan.
ity itself has been cured by such an
operation in cases in which it has
followed injuries to the head. What
tho Intimate result Of these recently