The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-10-08

would create a MIMI Can yen cDnes# 81
# the meaning TO humanity II 3 di7cgs.ss
that would transform a cong nitai irnff4-
Gle into d rational belnef such an or
alton was the one | was prisil got u sei-
The patient was child about one var
Old. Or good parentage and Of healthy
bodily growth aside from the fact That
It's skull was that Of new born cti
aid IL had hardened and s9lidihcd lni8
That shape and size. The oft spo."
was not there, and the sutute, or seam
Of the skull had grown fa-' and solid -
that the brain within WAS crsmped and
compressed by its yielding 90By c8sar-
ing.
The body could grow-dd grow IA.
the poor little compressed brain tho dH-
rector OF the intelligent and voluntary
actions of the body, WAS kept at its first
estate. Even worse than this, it, strug-
gle with It's bOny cage mad pressure
which caused distortion ani aim.e-- or
nnmeaning movement. The arm ard ieg
tnruei in, in that helpless pathetic way
that tells of imbecilty. In short. TIN
baby was a physically healthy imbeeile-
the most pathetic object on til sad earth
Upon examination, the surgeon. gentle,
swcet-natured man, whose enthusiasm
for his professiou-for the relief Of sur
fering makes him the object Of devo-
ton of many to when he has given life
and health, and the inspirer and final sp-
peal for many brother practitioner, di--
covered what he believed to be the
trouble. Led by that most uncommon Of
all things, cOmmOn-sense, ht believed
that this little victim of natures mistake
might be changed from a condition far
worse than death to one of comfort for
Itself, and to those who now looked upon
it only in anguish Of soul.
After explaining TO the parents and the
surgeons who had come to witness the
wonderful experiment (fOr after all, at
this stage it was but an experiment based
upon common sense) that it might fail !;
after modest and simple statement of
his reason for Undertaking SO dangerous
an operation, with no precedent before
him; after explaining that the parents
fuily understood that not - try it meant
death-he began the work. | Will try to
tell what it was in language that is not
scientific, and .may seem to those &c
custUmed to surgical terms inadequate
and unlearned but to those who are not
technical students believe the less tech
meal language will he far clearer.
The childs skull was laid bare in front
the base Cor top) of the lose up and
over to the back Of the head. One of
these tracks was cut on each Side, the
surgeon explained, because it woulJ give
equal expansion to the two sides of The
brain, aud because it would cause death
to cut through the middle of the tob Of
the head, where lies the superior longi-
tud1uu sinus" He left, therefore, the
solid track of bone through the middle,
aud cut two grooves or tracks OF bone
one on either side, where nature when
The does not make g mistake) leaves soft
or unyiclding edges, by means of which
the normal skull expands to Ill the needs
OF The brain within.
The trench made displaced OF cut away
one quarter OF an iucn OF solid bone all
the way from Lear the base 81 the most
to the back OF the head la the middle
of the top OF the head on each Side ii
crosSWise cut was made, and one inch OF
bone was divided. Anolh,r cut wa, made
on either side, slanting toward The ears.
This was enc and i half inches long.
| Tie surgeon then ttndcrly Inserted his
fore fingers, pressed the Internal mass
loose from the bones where il adhered
aud pushed the bones wider apart. TINS
process widentd the trenches To one inch,
ne MOunU WAS now uItSctu Win the
wonderfully effective new as.ptics, aud
the ii sd and skin closed ovol' The OPP
Grafton had taken an hour and half
There was little bleeding. Inc paoy was
Of course, unc >ci5us duriag the entire
Tine. On the lea-it Is Of anRSthet {, .
And no" comes ~. wonderful III Of
this bold and radical hut tender aud hu
name operation
The child rallied well. Ia three days it
showed improved intelligence. In eight
days this Improvement WAS marked
From a creature that sat llstlesS, defprm-
ed, and unmindful Of all about it, it be-
Gan to take notice. like other children.
From an it, it had been transformed
into he 1t had been given pcrsoual-
ty. 1t ate and slept fairly we'll.
On the tenth day the wound was eX
posed and dressed. 1t hal healed, CT
united by fist intention a. the doctors
say; and again one can hut eAclaim, "Oh,
those wonderful aseptic dressings Il
had united without suppuration. II was
clean wound clearly healing.
One month after the operation the feet
and hands had Strengthened out, and lost
their jerky, a!mlesS movements. The
child * now a child. 1t acts and thinks
like other children, laughs and cooes and
makes glad the hearts OF those who love
1t From "Cumm0n-sen in Surgery
by Helen IL. Gardener, in ll,rPsr's Maya
zine for October