St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-07-23

CURING IDlocv,

CURING IDiocv.
An Operatioa 70 Give the Draia Room &
ExpaaA.
/ A distinguished New York physicia,
: has discovered that children born will
/, inferior brain capacity. and showing dc
cided predisposition to idiocy, can b
cured by . surgical operation upon tn
skull. There are six soft spots known
to physicians upon the Uranium of ,
child. The anterior one, which Is tn,
largest, is situated where the corona
and sagittal sutures meet, and remain.
open some time after birth. Thess
spots are called frOntanels, and at thu
age Of eighteen months become solit
bone, like other parts of the skull Ths
problem, therefore. was to decrease the
thickness of the skull in certain parts
SO that it could expand and thus afford
greater brain activity. An experiment
has recently been made on . child in
the New York Juvenile asylum .,
Mount Vernon, and there is every evi.
dcnce that complete success has been
attained.
Little Harry Thatcher's father and
mother died within . month of each
other four years ago, when Harry was
. year old. He wasn't very bright when
taken to the asylum, and developed En-
to stupid idiot He did not grow fast,
50 that now he is no larger than IN or
dinary child Of three. He couldn't re-
member anything or eat any solid food.
It looked rs If Harry was doomed.
Then the doctor decided upon . won
derful operation, which will make
Harry famous in all the medical jour
mails after awhile. He determined to
cut pieces out Of Harry's skull, to give
the child's brain . chance to grow.
The operation was performed and was
most successful. II is always extremely
dangerous to open the skull, but that
was the only chance for the child.
The doctor used his brain electrical
boring and cutting apparatus, besides
knives and saws The left side Of Har-
rvs head was shaved. The child's or
gans of speech were affected. and as the
brain matter which controls them are
on the left side, the surgeon operated
there. The head was washed with soap
and then a solution of bichloride of
mercury. the strongest of all antisep-
ties Then the boy was ready for the
knife. Ether was administered. and
the moment Harry was under its inf
ence the surgeon made . rapid cut
through the middle Of the scalp. Then
he made transverse cuts over the frontal
and back bone of the skull. The flap of
scalp was thrown hack, leaving the
skull bare. From this point on the
surgeon had need Of all his skill.
He decided at the last moment not to
use the electrical instruments The
bone was not 50 hard rs he anticipated,
and so he could work to better advan-
tage with his kands. On the left side.
just above the eyebrow, he placed . CYL
indrical saw, which is used like bit;
with which the skull was first per-
forated The trcpan cut out button
Of bone just . half inch in diameter.
Back six inches from the first opening,
and near the occipital bone or the pos
terror segment, another button was ex-
trac.ed. The doctor then decided to re-
move q part of the skull with y punch
capable of taking out . slice . half inch
long and three-sixtcenths Of IN inch
wide. The doctor inserted this punch
into the opening made by the trepan. It
cut out the bone smoothly and sharply,
and the doctor made the opening the
opening to the other he cut away the
bone, making smooth, even trench six
inches long and three-eighths Of IN
inch wide, laying bare the fibrous mem-
branc of the brain The trench ran
along the middle of the junction Of the
two side bones at the top Of the head.
This channel was no sooner opened
than the surgeon made two transverse
ones of the same width, but about two
inches long. One passed through the
bone and the other on the pos
terror segment over the left parietal
bone half way to the occipital. This
plowing along had to be done with the
greatest care, for it would be dangerous
TO cut the membrane, or even bruise II,
for fear Of Inflammation. Then, too. in
the cavities directly underneath the
seams are myriads of blood-vessels, and
The least disturbance would cause hem
prrhage. And. above all, not . moment
must be wasted. Each second added to
the danger. The surgeon plowed
the skull as fast rs his hands
could sever the bone. When he had
finished the cutting the wound was
washed. Then the scalp was drawn
hack into place and stitched. The
compress about the head was re-
The whole operation was per
formed in twenty-five minutes. Harry
was playing out of doors in five days
Once . Week.