The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-02-21
Deceived Many Medical Authorities
in All Parts OF the
World.
Celebrated Case of the Doctor
Who Was Guilty OF Mental
Homicide.
Ia spite OF Its Absurdlty the story Was
Copied aud Icarnediv Discussed
and Credited.

make calculations SIS 60 the percentage ol
acceptauces thereof bv people Of EVERYDAY
common sense Il is as astonishing as Il
II interesting when Yen come 90 figure Il
out how a statement. Tlaus.oly put and
leavened with just enough fact 20 give il
life. viii bo swallowed without question
by men who should refuse 20 accept bald
assertions as fact by the very logic OF their
positions ! mean boy this that bit of in
gcnious sophisiry should not convince a
logican a problem false in It's PROPOSE
tion should no: confuse mathematician.
and. 10 come 70 the concrete and more
practical tho descripGo Of a surgical
operation that never did and never could
take place ought not 20 deceive an anGt-
omist and surgeon. Lee me illustrate this
point first.
cannot recall tho precise date. but it
was In the latter part II 1881 or early i'm
1859 that New York newspaper con-
tanned an article describing a most re-
markable operation In cranial surgery,
which. il was alleged. had been performed
by Philadelphia physician upon his maui
servant Tho operation was not one Of me-
ccssity nor of expedience-it was maGo
simply 10 satisfy The operator by ocular
demonstration that the functions Of the
mosor and senscry centers were independ-
the motor could exist and act without the
presence Of the entire sensory system. To
demonstrate this our experimental friend
induced his faithful servitor % surrender
a few ounces Of his brains. lie was placed
under ether. aud after a flap Of scalp hsd
been thrown hack a circular incision was
made in the right and left porietal region
OF the skull. The pieces Of bone cut out by
the trephine were placed lin an un5iseptic
liquor. a surgical spoon was introduced.
first into one cavity and then into the
other, and the operator removed from each
side about an eof brain from the con
volurions which bis researches led him 10
believe governed the seat Of cerebral nc
tivity. The bony lids were replaced over
each circular opening, the scalp flaps put
back, and the patient was ready for bed.
where he remained for several days appar-
emily oblivious 20 bis surroundings. All
the involuntary functions Of the body pro
cceded as before, and when the man had
sufficiently recovered from physical shock
he was put on his feet
He could not maintain his equilibrium
In stationary posture hut when started
walking would continue the motion al
legs and feet until he brought up against
an obstruction that hinlered farther prog
ress. The physician congratulated him
SELF on the nicety OF his measurements aud
calculations, but rs time went on he real
lied that while be had committed no crime +
f0r which the statute books provided "a I
penalty he was nevertheless. 90 an intents .
and purposes q murderer lie had not exc T
tluguished the spark we eall life, but lie +
had destroyed the ego. or. if the term
might be employed, be had committed /
mental homicide The story went on 10 (
tell how the victim was eventually placed I
IN am asylum for the insane. where be was
regarded as congenital idiot and 20 en-
tered On the books ~ the institution His
master, IL was said, brooded 20 such au
extent that be eventually died OF reraor-e.
leaving behind him a history of the opera
tion and its melancholy result. and from
this posthumous paper the story was writ
ten.
IL so happened that I was an intimate
friend Of the author Of the queer yarn. aud .
he was anxious 10 learn whether the scion .
tihc world would give even a contemptu-
Gus deuuncintou toit. With that purpose
In view De marked the article DO - or 20 .
papers. These he mailed 10 various mcl- f
icai Journals ana scientific societies both iu .
Europe and America. I'Il confess surprise .
when some three weeks later ] saw ana Ed- .
inburph periodical take mp The subject. f
accept l as fact and critici-e the phv-i- .
clan iu the 4cvorlst terms for having dared f
q triile with the human brain when thcr.
Vas uo necessity and where there could be .
bat ole result.
The gwvest apprehension was enter
tanned for any medical society that would
periair it, membership ro.l TO be disgraced
Vita thc name az any Practitioner whu iu .
mistaken devotion Co science could flr-
got Tint be wcs "a uau au3 tie uriuLrrs a. .
a profession whose mi sion WINS not fI de- .
ktroy, bat % hg.ld up. Tor Co add 10 tle
weight oi human woe, hut to take from b.
To c.nch the argument 30 was shown chat F.
az operation on one a. The lower nnirnni-
would have been 81 equal value 10 deter
mins the exact sent of certain cerebral
functions as theaph mndeou human be-
Ing
One Or two western newspapers repro
duccd the article without comment. ana a
Melbourne weekly. copying from one at
these. said in foatrotc Tint b. ua- ora
'audaciou- act that none bar "a Yankecfur-
gecn, regardless Of criticism or results.
would undertake ia none Of These. pub
hcatDus WIS there any challenge ~ the
feucity 81 the statement per -e. Ass a
matter ~ fact. the only brsis 90 truth for
tha publication was tle fact that p n,,I-
zeal student. who had "a strong predilcrtion
iof TIC study ot nervous diseases. bad
evolved 'Aoury thst q condition Ike That
described might De- produced by such an
operation il- did mot place his THOUGHTS
II iLr a-sumpfIFe future. lut in the re-
sump'ive past, and his written record
made 90 appear that surgeon had actual
y found a man f1ol enough 70 porlnIt him
cell 90 De deprived ~ his senses completely
without reward and without hope Of re-
eoYery
From This the story was woven. with
such ingenuity as 10 completely cloak The
vital pDint-viz thar 200 10000 men %
would ho impos-itl. tn CuI one. even 10
weary of life who --. .swiiIinr 90 lu.
drr<o such % tralsiI I.,. ,..r. f..- "a ure,..,,.
rsward 81 temporal cHf. ..rf- This pariir.
ular iAllacy Is one ... would possibly o. .
maintained hy Ire thau1hImI more thau
10 the thoughtless.-Aew YORK Nail aud 1
kxpress.