The Opelousas courier., 1891-12-05
A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY.
LAYING BARE A CHILD'S SKULL
TO CREATE A MIND.
The Wonderful Operation by Which
an Imbecile Was Transformed
Into a Rational Being.

%A CS 1880
Into a Rational Being.
Can you think of an operation tina
would create a mind2 Can you c~onceiv
of the meaning to humanity of a discov
cry that would transform a congenita
imbecile into a rational being2 Such an
operation was the one [ was privileged to
see.
The patient was a child about one
year old. Of good parentage and OF
healthy bodily growth aside from the
fact that it's skull was that of a newborn
child, and it had hardened and solidifed
into that shape and size. The "soft
spot was not there, aud the sutures or
seams of the skull had grown fast and
solid, so that the brain within was
ing bony covering. u
The body could grow-did grow-but
the poor little compressed brain, the di-
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 a 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 a 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 sufferlng-makes him the object
of devotion to many to whom he has
given life and health, and the .inspirer
and final appeal for many a brother prac-
toner, discovered what he believed to be
the trouble. Led by that most uncom-
mon of all things, c~ommon-sense, he be-
lieved that this little victim of natures
mistake might be changed from a 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 a little above
the base (or top of the nose up and
over to the back of the head. One of
these tracks was cut Cd 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 ttthe 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
she does not make a mistake) leaves soft
or yielding edges by means of which the
skull expends to fit the needs of
the brain within.
The trench made displaced or out
away ~one-quarter of a inch of solid
bone all the way from near the base of
nose to the back of the head. In
middle of the head on each side a
cut was made, and OLD inch of
bone divided. Another cut was made
either side, slanting toward the ears.
This was Il and a half inches long.
The surgeon thea tenderly inserted his
'o~re1ngers, pressed the internal mass
Dose from the bones where it adhered
md pushed the bones wider apart. This
process widened the trenches to one
nch.
The wound was now dressed with the
wonderfully effective new aseptics, and
he flesh and skin closed over. The op-
ration had taken an hour and a half.
there was little bleeding. The baby
vas, of course, unconscious during the
ntire time. Oh, the blessings Of anas-
beticsi And now comes the wonderful
esult OF this bold and radical, but tender
humane operation.
The baby rallied we'll. In three days
showed improved Intelligence. In
ight days this improvement was marked.
rom a creature that sat listless, de-
ormed, and unnindful of all about it, it
cyan to "take notice" like other chill /,
rem. From IN sit, it had been trans $
,rmed into the It had been given /
ersonality. It ate and slept fairly well. :
On the tenth Gay the wound was ex- !
osed and dressed. 1t had healed, or /
united by first Intention" as the doc /
RS say and again one can but exclaim: t
Oh, those wonderful aseptic dressingsl {
had united without suppuration. 1t $
as q clean wound, Clearly healing. /,
One month after the operation the feet :
id hands had Strengthened out, and lost .
.elr jerky, aimless movements. The !
g childis now a child. It acts and +
like other children, laughs and )
oes and makes glad the hearts Of those Z
40 1--we it.-Hraper's Magazine. J,