The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-09

am ,..,, 90 make. Still the ravages Of
diseoso baro haen go much checked and the
ayeracs Ienoth OF life 50 much advanced IN
the last aftv years that we are justified in ex-
pectino, FAR mora notable Developments in the
same general direction than nave yet been
observed.
Recently. attention has been turned to
possible cure for drunkenness one OF the
great curses OF humanity. whether We con-
slider the welfare OF the person immediately
involved or the general interest OF the COM
munity in which he lives. But far more i'm
portant are the investi- cations which arc now
going on as to an effective method OF eradl-
eating idiocy. which has been hitherto re
garded as lying beyond the skill Of the
faculty.
IL has always been a well known fact in the
history of the anatomy Of the human frame
that tho brain of the infant grows more
rapidly than its skull. and that nature, to pro-
vide for this. has dotted the surface Of the
skull in It's first stage with q number Of soft
spots about the size of a twenty piece
which are called in anatomical phraseology'
fontenels Immediately after birth there Is a
distinct opening at the point where the coro-
mel and sagittel sutures meet, and this grad
ually closes. leaving the soft spots to furnish
the room which the more rapidly growing
brain demands for its physical expansion.
Congenital diocy is chiefly due TO the alb
sence of these soft spots At birth so that It
sh VS. not ONLY heartlessness, but also great ~
norance to speak O, baby asa soft head II
he were not solt-head, iii most probable that
he would be az idiot. as it has been observed
that very large proportion of the children
who are devoid Of mind in their first years
have heads that are hard TO the touch over
the whole surface.
The first physician to recognize the sgnii-
canoe of this fact was Dr. LaneloQue, of Paris,
and he proceeded 10 invent a method for the
removal Of the deficiency. in the cases Of con-
genital idiocy which came under his eye in
the course of bis practice. This method was
O. produce artificial soft spots i'm the hard in
lantie skull by the application of an electrical
boring and cutting apparatus which he had
contriYei. besides using the knife and SAW.
Only a short time ago. the example which
was set by DR.. Laneioque was followed in the
Juvenile Asylum at Mt. Vernon. New York,
on q little patient who had been an IDIOT from
birth, and the operation has been attended
with the most beneficial results.
No one can examine into the character Of
this remedy without feeling regret that it can
only be applied to human beings at a tender
age. The man who will discover some method
by which every form Of adult idiocy can he
cured. will be entitled 30 n statue as imposing
as the monument at Washington 10 the father
Of his country. Josh Billings method cannot
be utilized even in extreme cases. When the
idea was first advanced that fish was an
excellent food for the invigoration of
the brain he recommended that every
fool should be treated 70 q whale Unfor-
tuuatcly this is impracticable but apparently
it is not mpracticabie if the experiments in
the curing OF conCenital idiocy have been as
successful es they have been represented, g.
remove from among men one of the most
lameutablo Affections which can befail the
human body