Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-10-22
A Wonderful Surgical Operation.

Can you think of an operation that would
create mind? Can you conceive of the
meaning to humanity of discovery that
would transform a eongenital imbecle into
aratlonal being? Such an operation was
the one | was privileged to see.
The patient was a child about one year
old; of good paren,age and of healthy
bodily growth aside from the fact that its
skull was that of newborn child, and it
had hardened and solidited 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
uDyieldng bony covering.
The body could grow-did grow-but tie
poor little compressed brain, the director
Of the intelligent and voluntary actions of
the body, was kept at its first estate. Even
worse than this, its struggle with its bony
cage made a pressure which caused distor-
tion and aimless or unmeanng movement.
The arm and leg turned in, in that helpless,
pathetic way that tells of imbecility In
short, the baby was a physically healthy
imbecile-the most pathetic object on this
sad earth. Upon examination, the sur
geou, gentle, sweet-natured man, whose
enthusiasm for his profession-for the re-
lief of suierng-makes linn the object of
=
life and health, and the inspirer and final
appeal for many brother practitioner, dis
covered what he believed To be the trouble.
Led by that most uncommon of all things,
common sense, he believed that this little
victim of natures mistake might be chang
ed from 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 80 dangerous an
operation, with no precedent before him;
after explaining that the parents fully uu-
derstood that not to try it meant hopeless
idiocy, and that the trial might mean death
he began to work. wiii try TO tell what
1t was in language that is not scientific,
and may seem to those accustomed 10 sur
glcal terms inadequate aud unlearned; but
TO those who are not technical medical stu
dents believe the less technical language
will be far clearer.
The childs skull was laid bare In front.
Two tracks were cut from u littlo above
the base (or top OF the nose up and over
to the back of the head Oe of these
tracks was cut on each side the surgeon
explained, because it would give equal tX-
pan>ion TO the two sides of the brain and
because it would cause death to eur through
the middle of the top of the head, where
lies the superior longitudinal sinus He
left, therefore, the solid track of bone
through the middle, and Gu. two grooves
or tracks of bone, one on either side where
no, a. L.,
take leaves soft or yielding edges, by
means of which the normal skull expands
to tt the needs of the brain within.
The trench made displaced or cut away
one-q quarter of an inch Of solid bone all the
way trCm near the base of the nose to the
back of the head. In the middle Of the
top of the head on each side 3 crooswise
cut WAS made. and one inch of bone divid-
ed Another cut was made on either SIde,
slanting toward the ear- This was one
and half inches long TIE surgeon then
tenderly inserted his furtH04rrs pressed
the internal mass loose II, m the bones
where it adhered, and pushed the bones
wider apart. This process wlleued the
trenches to one inch.
The wound wa> nov dressed with the
wonderfully effective new a>"pJjc- aAd the
flesh and skin closed over The operation
1
little bleeding. The baby was, Of course,
unconscious during the rutire time. GA,
the blessings of aIT,theucs, And now
comes the wonderful result Of this bold
and radical hut tender and humane opera
ton
The baby rallied we'll In three days it
showed improved intelligence III eight
days this improvement was marked From
a creature that sat listvss, deformed, and
unmindful of all about it, it began 10 take
notice" like other children. From an 1T"
it had been transformed into he II
had been given personality. 1t ate and
slept fairly well.
On the tenth day the wound was expos
ed and dressed, 1t had healed, or united
by first intention, As the doctors say and
again one can exclaim, "Oh ,thost wonder
full aseptic dressings :" 1t had united with
out suppuration. 1t was Il clean wound,
cleanly healing.
One mouth after the operation the feet
and hands had Strengthened out. aud lost
their jerky, aimess movements The
child is now child. 1t acts and thinks
like other children, laughs and COOS aud
makes glad the hearts of those " no love
it. From Common Sense in Surgery"
by Helen Ii. Gardner, in Ihrpel'S Wigu.
zine for October.