The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-11-11
A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY.
LAYING BARE A CHILDS SKULL
TO CREATE A MIND.

The Wonderful Operation 10y Which
an ImbeciIe Was Transformed
Into Rational Being.
Can you think q an operation that
would create mind Can you conceive
of the meaning to humanity of discov4
cry that would transform congeuital
imbecile into rational beingY Such an
operation was the one l was privileged to
see.
The patient was child about one
year old. OF good parentage aud of
healthy bodily growth aside from tho
fact that It's skull was that of newborn
child, and 1t had hardened and solidifed
into that shape and size. The ''soft
spot" was not there, and the sutures or
seams of the skull had grown fast and
solid, so that the brain within was
cramped and compressed by its unyield-
ing bony covering.
The body could grow-did grow-but
the poor little compressed brain, the di 3.
rector of the intelligent and voluntary
actions of the body, was kept at its first
estate. Even worse than this, its strug-
gle with its bony cage made pressure
which caused distortion and aimless or
unmeaning movement. The arm and leg
turned in, in that helpless, pathetic way
that tells of imbecility, In short, the
baby was physically healthy imbecile-
the most pathetic object on this sad
earth. Upon examination, the surgeon,
a gentle, sweet-natured man, whose en-
thusiasm for his professionalism the re-
lief of suffenng-makes him the object
of devotion to many to whom he has
given life and health, and the inspirer
and final appeal for many brother prac-
toner, discovered what he believed to be
the trouble. Led by that most uncom-
mon of all things, common. sense, he be-
lieved that this little victim of natures
mistake might be changed from con-
dition far worse than death to one of
comfort for itself, and to those who now
looked upon 1t only in anguish of soul.
The child's skull was laid bare in front.
Two tracks were cut from little above
the base (or top of the nose up and
over to the back of the head. One of
these tracks was cut oD each side, the
surgeon explained, because it would give
equal expansion to the two sides of the
brain, and because it would cause death
to cut through the middle of the top of
the head, where lies ''the superior longitu-
dinal sinus" He left, therefore, the
solid track of bone through the middle,
and cut two grooves or tracks of bones,
one on either side, where nature (when
ha iato olraN
or yielding edges by means of which the
normal skull expends to fit the needs of
the brain within.
The trench made displaced or cut
away one-quarter of an inch of solid
bone all the way from near the base of
the nose to the back of the head. In
the middle of the head on each side u
crosswise cut was made, and one inch of
bone divided. Another cut was made
on either side, slanting toward the ears.
This was one and half inches long.
The surgeon thea tenderly inserted his
forefngers, pressed the internal mass
loose from the bones where it adhered
and pushed the bones wider apart. This
process widened the trenches to one
inch.
The wound was now dressed with the
wonderfully effective new aseptics, and
the flesh and skin closed over. The op-
Grafton had taken an hour and half.
There was little bleeding. The baby
was, of course, unconscious during the
entire time. Oh, the blessings of auas-
thetics And now comes the wonderful
result OF this bold and radical, but tender
and humane operation. ......
The baby rallied we'll. In three days
it showed improved intelligence. In
eight days this improvement was marked.
From creature that sat listless, de-
formed, and unmindful of all about it, it
began to ''take notice." like other chill
dren. From an lit, ;" it had been trans
formed into she" 1t had been given
personality. 1t ate and slept fairly we'll.
On the tenth DAY the wound was ex-
posed and dressed. 1t had healed, or
'united by first intention" as the doc
tors say; and again one can but exclaim
ooh, those wonderful aseptic dressings
1t had united without suppuration. 1t
was clean wound, cleanly healing.
One month after the operation the feet
and hands had Strengthened out, and lost
their jerky, aimless movements. The
the child is now child. 1t acts and
thinks like other children, laughs and
cooes and makes glad the hearts of those
who love it.-Hyaper's Magazine.