The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-08
KEEN AS IS HIS NAME
LETTER FROM AN EMINENT vIvISEC.
ZIONIST TO SENATOR GALLINGER.
DIR. w. w. Keen Tells How the Life of
Midshipman Aiken Was Saved
at Annapolis.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec 7-Dr. William
w. Keen, the eminent surgeon OF this city
who was recently summoned to Annapolis
to perform operation Midshipman
Aiken to relieve him Of the effects of in
juries received In a football game. attrib-
utes the success of his operation to knowl-
edge gained through experiments In vivi-
section. DR.. Keen has addressed letter
setting forth the facts In the case to Sem
ator Gallinger. whom he regards as one
of the leaders of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in
this country. DR.. Keen In his letter says:
II deem 1T my duty to call your attention
to the case of Midshipman Aiken, of the
United States Naval Academy. who was
recently injured in a football game. My
reason for doing so Is to show you by a sin
gle concrete example that knowledge gain
ed by animal experimentation is an immense
boon to humanity and that, therefore. such
experiments should be heartily encouraged
THE facts in Mr.. Aikens case are as
follows: When first saw him, three days
after the accident. / found that he had
been unconscious for a half-hour after the
accident and ever since then had COM
planned bitterly of headache, which he
located always in the forehead. Soon
after the accident he began to develop
convulsions. In six hours and half after
L saw him he had twenty-four of these
attacks, all limited to the right arm.
There was no fracture Of the skull The
only physical evidence of any injury was
a very slight bruise at the outer end of
the left eyebrow.
Had seen this case before 1885, I would
have been unable to explain why the
spasms were chiefly manifested in the right
arm. I would have been justified in in
ferring that probably the front part of his
brain was injured at the site of the bruise.
Had | opened his skull at that point I
would have found a perfectly normal brain
and have missed the clot. The young man,
therefore, would have died whether his
skull had been opened or not
I'm 1902 observe the difference. AS
result of knowledge derived from expert
ments upon animals, which have located
precisely the center for motion of the right
arm, 1 reached the conclusion that there
had been a rupture of blood vessel with
i'm the head and that the situation of the
clot should correspond 70 the arm CENTER
Its position was fixed absolutely a re-
suit of experiments upon animals. AS soon
the skull was opened at this point the
clot was found, its thickest point being
exactly over the arm center. and the blood
was removed. with the result tina: the pa
TENTS life was saved. This is only one of
hundreds OF cases in which a similar exact
localization has been made by many sur
geons both in Europe and America.
1.-The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. have frequently
denied that surgeons have learned anything
from such experiments. 1 state, with the
greatest positiveness that without the
knowledge derived from experiments upon
animals which have demonstrated the facts
of cerebral localization should never have
been able 10 locate the clot in Mr. Aikens's
/ head and remove 1t. In view. therefore, of
the evident and positive benefit of such
experiments. / trust that you will be will
| ing to desist from further efforts at such
| repressive and, / regard IL, most in
| humane and cruel legislat ton"