New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-13
IrTrt l. IP\HNED EY NINISE(TlON.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
sir: \, there ha, been much said and written
of late about Dr k.cn'> arcl" upon brain Surgery
In the June number Of lIarpr's Magazine and ~
II a., been supposed 10y many 10 demonstrate the
great amount of knowledge gained by experiments
upon animals and the great amount Of benefit TO man
KIND accruing from these exp rimcnts, beg you 10
publish TIT, letter The other side of the question.
and to allow me To show 10 the public npcn how
slight foundation Dr. Keen bases hil claim TO nov
discoveries and 10 knowledge q importance gained BY
the torture Of helpless creature, that God has placed
in orr charge lie siyS that the whole surface OF
the brain was mapped out and the motor areas de-
tcrninod bv III" experiments Of Fcrrirr and other
sci, nsts upon ,nk"yS. lie says that brain local
zaion II I. called. due to hi, cause ana that
the discovery OF affection Of the bead influencing
limb, on the other side Of the body made through
mi, means LIT lis what the English surgeon.
Dr. Bcrdoc. In a recent letter says on the subject:
Il have before me Call and spurzhclms famous
treatise the brain and nervous system the date Of
which f. LID. ON pae" 30 Of tins work We read
,iructut" known to tho ancient ana tomistS,
u, to MAchrlli. du Petit and Snnt orini; but 1t has
been overlooked denied by modern ANTAGONISTS. 1t
explain, why njurir, of III, head inference opposIt"
s!irs Of the body. and only part Of the brain
/, by dccu,saton In communication with the nervous
mas. Il the body. II /, evident ana cnsi understood"
why palsy Of the body convuon, produced by
niuic, Of the head are observed sometimes on the
opposite and sometimes the same side.
There many more things to be- found in hpurz
helms booh which claimed by the vvisectors OF
to-day rs brilliant discoveries Of their own, made
upon the brain, OF living animals"
Now. n answer to the benefits which DR.. Keen
would have H. believe are conferred upon mankind
by the removal of brain mmors, in - per cent Of
which operations he stated that the patients recover,
another English surgeon, William Thorburn. Fellow
cf the Royal College Of surgeons. In an article he has
written " Irn surgery" In " The British Medical
Animal for 1908. SAYS: The majority Of tumors
cannot b. cXtlrpItcd. aS the symptoms ~ general
pressure mask the special effects and thus render
ocalization impractcablc. Among those again Ghat
Is those capable Of being removed. We eau operate
ONLY upon those which are In thr cortcx, not
to, large. Wen cucapsucd and not mrtaStac. Keep
inc within THESE limits II Is estimated that about
third Of the eases operated upon have recovered. and
the successful eases almost invariably presented sub
,cgnrnt p'rnly,ic Of mat portion Of me cor'rN
.ny that Of absccss Of the brain IA
yorablc fir op'rntion they generally be local
7cd. but experiments upon animal, nave not helped
II. f. this Hind of local LailOn In the least We eau
~. now how little In. Keen has established his claim
that any discoveries Of importance To mankind In the
treatment Oi brain diseases have been gained by vvi
,cctloIL II ha> bean shown that brain localzalon
vas established long before the time OF Fcrricr and his
coworkcr, aud II l. denied that It ever learned
hv means Of experiments upon animals. We s~
also that operations for the removal of brain tumor
are Of such coubiinl brnrl that many OF those who
survive scarcely improved In condition.. rs they
,nrrwnri develop larlly Is. II I, wonder that
M English doctor. spTtinC NJ Il public meeting III"
,lh"r da' aid: FOR my part. II ai tn. MI.
fortune to nave brain lumor sljuii prefer To-
Keep IT," h. any one examine the account which
r Keen himself elvrs OF the various op rated
ipon for brain troubles and see how few Of them
r,ally got well. have heard also from outside
.olrccs that one at least Of those lie mentions was
IN I'm "a condition than death No, the vvi-
sectors and the enthusiastic advocates Of vvsecon