The morning call., 1892-02-29
CLEVER SURGERY.
An idiot Child Provided With Brains
and Mouth.

An Idiot Child Provided With Brains
and Mouth.
New York Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer,
Professor Carpenter recently had an OPP
portunity of proving conclusively, to his
own mind at least that mind is only a prop
erty of matter, and that mind can be man
ufactured at viii under certain circum-
stances.
The experiment was made at tie Poly
clinic Hospital, and it is one that has
greatly interested the medical profession.
The patient was a young child named Ger
trude Hapes, said to be distant relative of
ex-President Hayes. The child has been at
the hospital for about year, under the
watebful eye of Professor Carpenter. and it
WAS this careful attention that undoubtedly
had much to do with the success Of the
case. The girl was what might be termed a
monstrosity, although not so badly de-
formed as many others that were really in
a much better condition. She was born
without mouth.
Professor Carpenter considered the ques-
ton Of saving the child's life by making an
opening into the side so that food could be
put into the stomach through a permanent
oriiee. This would have probably been
the simplest way out of the diff
Guilty. but the babe had also a soft
skull that could be indented with a
slight pressure of the finger. and the fact
that the child's life was evidently destined
to be short one induced him TO try an en-
tirely novel experiment. This consisted in
opening the throat from the outside, cut
ting alongside the windpipe, catching the
esUphagus, pulling 1t forward, puncturng
it and stitching IL fast 10 the internal neck.
so that food could be passed into it in the
regular way.
The babe thrived on the highly nutritious
food given it in this way. but when she got
cid enough 10 begin TO show intelligence it
was discovered that she was an idiot The
child at the age of 3 years was perfectly
helpless and did not know enough TO help
itself. When the child was years Of age
an attempt was made 10 make an opening
into the mouth, but it was found that there
was no internal mouth and there was an alb
Sence OF tongue.
1t had been expected that in time the
skull bone would harden, but it did not,
and when the child was 6 years old Pro-
lessor Carpenter decided to try and
cover the brain with an artificial
skull. In order to find out if this were
possible the scalp was cut into on the
top of the head, and then II was discovered
that the CaTtliaguOus covering Of the
brain did not adhere TO the brain like the
ordinary skull. and it could be moved about
at will. The cartilage was divided, ami most
of il was taken out in sections, but nothing
GUNlu DC Ql'Ilt al TIE llUlb lhHdIu putting on
an artificial skull, as the patient exhibited a
very low vitality, and she would soon have
died from shock OH the OpeIRting-table if
the operation had been continued.
The patient was returned 10 her cot TO
give her a chance to regain strength, aud in
month the surgeon was astonlshed TO lind
that the brain had grown In size consider
ably. The chid'S brain originally was very
small-aOt much more than one-thiTd the
normal welEht-which made the increase
more readily perceptible. The brain devel-
Oped more rapidly in the back portion, and
Professor Carpenter assisted the growth in
the front part, which Is generally believed
10 be the seat Of the intellect, by grating
the brain OF dog on the human brain, using
very thin slices Of sponge as the medium to
unite them. These gratis grew with great
rapidly, faster than had ever been seen be-
fore, and IN five months from the time Of
the first operation the brain was Of the nor
NAL size.
The most remarkable feature of the case
is that as the brain assumed the normal size
the child manifested tile usual intellectual
operations, and she is now as bright as the
average child. This mind was certainly
manufactured by Professor Carpenter from
dogs BRAIN. which, it is well known, takes on
the characteristics Of the human brain after
ii has united.
The child made strange noises in the
throat, which showed that the vocal organs
were IN position and all right 10 find out
the exact condition Of them an incisiOn was
made in the Iarynx, and there, in recess
under what would ordinarily be the root of
the tongue, were found a tongue, small but
perfect, and what might be termed an
auxiliary mouth, with tie exception Of the
teeth.
The incisiOn was made permanent one
and the child now breatbeS through this
mouth. She can make sounds which re-
semble speech, and it is thought that with
proper treatment she can be taught TO
speak The brain has not been covered
with bone. as was originally intended, but
the head has been iuCased in a stiff metallic
cap, which is covered with a wig, and gives
the yOungster a fairly -presentable appear
ance Some time in the future Professor
Carpenter intends to try and make good
mouth in the natural place and close up the
opening III the laTnyX which has to be kept
covered 10 shut out irritating foreign bodies.
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