The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-13

1t is generally accepted among medical
men that a great many cases of insanity
result from abnormal physical conditions
inside the skull which might be remedied
if 1t We're possible to quickly and correctly
locate the trouble and use the knife
promptly. Clots of blood, depressions in
the Uranium, tumors. or other growths
pressing upon the brain produce pain.
Authorizations or raving madness accord
ing to the nature and location of the clot,
indentation or growth. Owing to the ex-
surgery, such operations have heretofore
been rarely performed, especially in the
hope of curing insanity. But, since the
discovery of the X-ray and it's application
to medical science, some wonderful and
very promising operations of this charac-
ter have been performed. Two of the
most notable of these may be mentioned
Several years ago a brilliant young law
yer of Chicago sustained severe blow on
the head. When he had recovered from
his physical hurt Il was discovered that
his brightness of mind was gone. He was
neither lunatic nor an imbecile, but his
power of reasoning from cause 10 effect
was gone. He could not remember. He
was practically cropping in the dark. Some
months ago he determined to have his
head examined under the X-ray and to
submit to an operation in the hope of find
ing relief. The examination with the
X-ray was successful. 1t showed a piece
of bone pressing on the brain. The doc
tors knew precisely what to do to remove
1t. They did it, and the young lawyer re-
covered almost, if not quite, all of his
brain power.
The second case differed from the one
just mentioned in that the patient suf-
fered horrible pains in the head which
finally drove him violently insane. He
tried TO kill, not only others, but himself
II was necessary to use force to control
him. The physicians diagnosed the case
as being the hitherto incurable disease of
brain tumor. Meantime the sufferer had
been pronounced permanently insane
Here was an instance in which it was not
a matter of raising up depressed piece
of bone, but of putting the knife directly
into the brain and cutting away malig-
nant growth. The X-ray was employed
and showed the tumor to be in the brain
just over the right eye. The brain around
it was rapidly becoming a mass of puss
or fluid. In his condition the man was
doomed, and il he was to be saved the
action must be prompt With the X-ray
picture as a guide the surgeons trephined
the skull. opened the brain. cut out the
tumor, arranged drainage with a rubber
tube, and awaited results. The operation
was success. The patient has now pass
ed the danger point and in all probability
will, within short time, walk out of the
hospital physically and mentally a well
man.
The promise held out by these operations
is that at no very distant day 1t may be
possible 10 bring back to light and intel
ligence many Of the poor creatures who
are now in our insane asylums. and that
heuceforth fewer unfortunates will have
to be condemned to that life which is more
horrible than death. Insanity will here
after be included IN the list of physical
as well as of mental diseases, and il is
assured that brain surgery will be brought
TO even much higher perfection by the
brilliant men who are devoting themselves
to the study of il.