The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-03
A NEWSPAPER YARN.
DECEIVED MEDICAL AUTHORITIES ALL
OVER THE WORLD.

A Mental Homicide the subject-In Spite
of Its Absurdity 1t Was Widely Copied,
Discussed, Denounced and Honestly
Cr-dited-A Big Hoax.
It has been a favorite pastime Of mine
for years to study popular fallacies and to
make calculations as to the percentage Of
acceptances thereof by people of everyday
common sense. 1t is as astonishing as it
is interesting when you come to figure it
out how statement, plausibly put and
leayened with just enough fact to give it
life will be swallowed without question
by men who should refuse to accept bald
assertions as fact by the very logic of their
positions. ! mean by this that bit of in
geniOus sophistry should not convince a
logician. A problem false in its PROPOSE
ton should not confuse n mathematician,
and, TO come to the concrete and more
practical, the description of n surgical
operation that never did and never could
take place ought not to deceive an anat-
omist'and surgeon. Let me illustrate this
point first
cannotrecall the precise date, but it
was in the latter part Of 1881 or early in
1882 that n New York newspaper con-
tanned an article describing n most re-
markable operation in cranial surgery,
which, it was alleged, had been performed
by Philadelphia physician upon his man
servant, The operation was not one Of ne
cessity nor Of expedience-it was made
simply to satisfy the operator by ocular
demonstration that the functions of the
motor and sensory centers were independ-
ent, OF, more specifically speaking, that
the motor could exist and act without the
presence Of the entire sensory system TO
demonstrate this our experimental friend
induced his faithful servitor to surrender
a few ounces Of his brains. He was placed
under ether, and after flap Of scalp had
been thrown back a circular incision was
made IN the right and left parietal region
Of the skull The pieces Of bone cut out by
the trephine were placed in an antiseptic
liquor, n surgical spoon was introduced,
first into one cavity and then into the
other, and the operator removed from each
side about an ounce Of brain from the con
volutions which his researches led him 10
believe governed the seat Of cerebral ac-
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 to his surroundings. All
the involuntary functions Of the body pro
ceeded 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 q stationary posture, but when started
walking would continue the motion Of
legs and feet until he brought up against
an obstruction that hindered farther prog
Tess. The physician congratulated him
self on the nicely Of his measurements and
calculations, but MS time went on he real-
lied that while he had committed no crime
for which the statute books provided n
penalty he was nevertheless, TO all intents
and purposes, murderer. He had not ex
tinguished the spark we call life, but he
had destroyed the ego, or, If the term
might be employed, he had committed
mental homicide. The story went on to
tell how the victim was eventually placed
In an asylum for the insane, where he was
regarded as congenital idiot and so en-
tered on the booksof the institution. His
master, it was said, brooded to such an
extent that he eventually died of remorse,
leaving behind him history of the opera
ton and its melancholy result, and from
this posthumous paper the story was writ
ten.
1t so happened that I was an intimate
friend of the author of the queer yarn, and
he was anxious TO learn whether the scien-
tiGc,YoIl6 would give even contemptg-