davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
ASTONISHING SURGERY
ANTEDATING HISTORY
Prehistoric Skulls Discovered Near Paris Bear nm akabe Signs
of Having Been Trepanned With Perfect Results.
:,,s,.s,ss,
Copyright, 1905. by Curtis Brown

Copyright. 1905. by Curtis Brown
sp4cial Correspondence Of The Star.
PARIS, June 81. 1905.
10 there was one department of human
activity 10 which no one had ever dreamed
NJ applying the trite adage that there's
rothlng new under the sun" It was surely
nodern surgery. Delicate operations on
hone and organ were held up as brilliant
examples of perfect progress, and the awed
world wondered. But now the revelation
has come that this. too. Is old. and that
surgery existed before history began.
This remarkable discovery is due TO the
researches OF DIR. L. Manouvrier, the most
famous anthropologist In France, who. hav-
ing observed and studied unmistakable
marks on prehistoric skulls found In the
region OF Paris. now boldly declares that
the great twentieth century surgeon is
merely treading in the wake of skilled prac-
t,,ioners who. without snaesthetics or an
,tsentics. with blades OF flint instead OF
tempered steel, performed three or four
Thousand years ago operations requiring
fhorough knowledge and consummate abil-
ity.
sIt Is established beyond question" said
DR. Manouvrier to me, that trepanning.
even today a delicate operation, was not
only known In prehistoric times, but was
nraettced far more extensively than now
adays Before trepanning surgeons must
have known of other operations, the traces
of which have disappeared, Ike the wooden
tools and arms which preceded stone. Am
putations and bone setting required less
Imagination and certainly no more Skill
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

than certain openings In skulls whose per-
lection is simply amazing. Men able to do
such work could not be disconnected by
small operations. As for dressing wounds
they must have understood the art per-
fectly, for trepanning requires very COM
plicated dressings"
And / suppose" l commented that
these marvellous prehistoric operations were
followed with the usual gratifying results
of modern surgical achievements. signal
triumphs from the professional point of
view, but the patient unfortunately dying
from complications
No. for we have proofs that the pa
TENTS survived"
We had been talking in DIR. Manouvrier' S
laboratory at the Paris School Of ADthro-
pology, the first institution of this kind
created anywhere In the world. and at
which DR.. Manouvrser worked with it's
founder. the celebrated DIR. Broca, who
originated anthropometrical studies. Since
Broca's death, Manouvrier has been the
head of this school, which Is a department
of the Ecole de Medicine. The building,
known as the Dupuytren Museum. Is his
torically and architecturally one of the most
interesting in Paris. Built In the fourteenth
century as the chapel of the Cordelier
monks an order of Franciscans. 1t became,
when the monks were expelled under the
revolution, the headquarters of the revo-
lutionary club organized by Danton, Marat,
Robespierre and Camihe Desmoulins, who
called II the Cordeliers Club. 1t was by O
strange irony that here, where prayers had
been sung for peace upon earth. there
should ring out clamors for orgies of hui
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

man blood And stranger still that to both
should succeed the human vestges now
forming the collection of the Dupuytren
Museum.
From the skulls filling the glass cases
which lay about him DR.. Manouvrier Sc
lected one.
This skull. which is a particularly beau
tiful--' he began.
You said?'
beautiful" he repeated. Don't you
think so?"
''Er-no, / can't say / do But it's of no
consequence. Please go on"
We'll, not only was the operation OF ire
panning successfully performed, but the pa
tient lived long enough afterWard Tor the
bones to knit together and cicatrise, that
is, several years at least. On TINS other
skull the evidences are the same.
There certainly were queer marks on the
skulls, and even determinations. 1t was
probably all right, but one doubted.
Are you sure these are operations !
ventured. I'm the days of battle axes and
battering rams, when melted lead was
sprinkled on besiegers, when gallant ioros
frequently tossed daggers at the heads OF
their spouses, when between drinks the
masters threw drinking horns at their vas
sails as a gentle hint that 1t was time for
more beer. 1t would seem extraordinary II
skulls had not been somewhat the worse
for wear and tear"
For PHYS sake exclaimed the learned
doctor. don't bring in medieval anec-
dotes when ] am talking OF the year 1000
B. C., or thereabouts. But granting that
people behaved as badly in the last mem
toned year as they did later, or as they
sometimes do today, the evidence OF bru-
tality left upon skulls Is very different from
this. We have skulls broken by swords or
otherwise injured by violence or accident;
the break is jagged and Irregular. even
where II has healed. But the hypothesis of
accident is impossible with the skull / hold.
Every indication of the most minute care
subsists to enlighten US as to the way IN
which the opening was made. You may be
sure that exhausted all other theories be-
| fore stating that this was case OF pre-
historic trepanning.
1.-THE opening, as you may see, was about
oval, and was made by scraping a beveied
| furrow round the line traced for the opera
ton The operation of wearing away the
bone lasted at least one hour, and perhaps
two. and must have been frightful. 1t was
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
The Flat Problem in Hemelin.

From the New York Tribune.
The Pied Piper had just p.ped the chill
dren into the mountain.
I'VE couldn't find any flats that allowed
the little dears," cxpIa ned the parents.
Thus we may see that the problem has
been of long duration.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

accompanied by external and internal
hemorrhages and the definite destruction of
important vessels. First, a ribbon of flesh
more than three inches in length had to
be cut in the scalp. Then, in order to lay
bare the bone more than half of the tenn
poral muscle had to be sacrificed, and the
temporal artery had to be severed. Then
the skull itself was attacked by scraping
until a section could be removed-to be re-
placed afterward so skil!fully that it knitted
with the surrounding edges, and the pa
tient lived"
And without anaesthetics, without anti
septics--" l began.
"Antiseptics," interposed DIR. Manouvrier,
ARE necessitated by the oyercrowdng of
our modern cities. There are today in CEN
trail France regions where certain opera
tons can be successfully performed without
antiseptics, sometimes without common
cleanliness. whereas in Paris the same op-
erations are generally fatal, though all an
tseptic precautions are taken. The reason
is that where the air is pure and the life
healthy there are few microbes. whereas
these swarm wherever humanity gathers
together in a small space.
y
But why would such horribly painful
operation be attempted"
I'VE have no way of knowing that. Per-
haps the reason was a wound in the portion
of the skull which the trepanner removed.
and which might have caused cerebral dis
turbances. Nowadays trepanning is resort
ed to when a splinter of bone weighs on
the brain. Since they knew the operation in
prehistoric times, they may have known the
reasons also. Nevertheless, we are led to
believe that they trepanned too much. To-
day there is perhaps one case Of trepanning
for million men. Among skulls Of the
neolithfc period found In the Paris region.
one skull out OF every twenty-five, at a
rough calculation. Is in some way operated. .
Then there were different forms OF OPP
erations?"
Certainly" answered DR. Maneuvrier,
opening another case In his laboratory and
taking out skull marked with a curious
..T, on the summit. There was simpler
operation, which was far more frequent and
which was the first to attract my attention.
These marks were certainly made on the
living subject by the hand of man. On
account of their form and their position
named them the sineipital T. and sought
several hypothesis to explain them. 1t ap-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

peared possible that these marks might
have been caused by peculiar and weighty
form of headdress, or else branding to
mark prisoners, or sign of mourning or
religion. The only theory which resisted
analysis was that of medical treatment, and
careful examination of different skulls bear
ing similar marks with variations suff1ced
to convince me that they were caused by in
cisons or cauterizations performed upon
children or adults as curative or preventive
measures.
Quite by accident I at this period found
several texts left by classical surgeons of
the middle ages who Recommended that in
cases of commissions, mania, epilepsy. ceph-
alagia, etc, missions and cauterizations
should be made on the head; T. e., the very
operation to which had, on the strength OF
my observations, attributed the sincipital
marks. l was thus able to establish the
link between prehistoric and modern sur
gerry.
This custom still survives among certain
primitive races. DIR. Bertholon of Tunis has
informed me that the Arabs cut or cauterize
children in this way to prevent certain dis
eases. DR.. Lehman Nitsche, curator of the
Anthropological Museum Of La Plata, has
sent to the Paris Anthropological Society
texts relating to similar customs still ex-
listing among the Guaches. the primitive in
habitants of the Great Canaries.
with the ancients it seems probable that
these operations were performed as REM
edy against headaches, nervous disorders,
excess of humidity in the brain, ETC."
The teeth of the skulls surrounding US
seemed barred no longer In sardonic smiles.
but in agonized grimaces. as the vision Of
promiscuous and CHASTITY operations for
chills and what not was evoked with serene
professional calm by DIR. Manouvrier.
$50 everybody was operated on for every
thing?'' / said, faintly. They sawed your
skull open lengthwise before breakfast by
| scraping away with a bit of stone, and If
you did not feel better at dinner time they
| went at 1t transversely to give you an APP
petite for supper?'
.Oh, the sincipital T, which was the most
frequent operation, was far simpler than
trepanning 1t appears to be caused by in
cisions or cauterizations on the periostium
or outer lining of the bone from which the
skull derives its thickness. Where the peri
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

various articles which the farmer offers for
sale. At this end is pile of peas in the
pod, next are the string beans, looking as
II they had just been picked from the vines,
then the berry baskets and the piles of
cherries and other fruits of the season.
That there are tricks in every trade is
just as true on the market in any other
business establishment. AS one goes down
the line OF the stands after the wares have
been arranged on the stands, he will notice
the men and the women carefully picking
over the berry baskets and their contents.
! In an endeavor to see that none of the
small fruit gets the top, and that none
/ of the scantily-flled baskets get the
counter samples of the stock. Such
things do not fool the veteran purchaser
on the market, and do not win the con-
fidence of the regular patrons for a certain
farmers products; but still human nature
is strong in the country folk, and they
wish to make as favorable a showing
possible. Perhaps they learned the trick
from their city brothers, with whom they
deal.
The careful observer will notice that some
groups of wagons are larger than others.
This is due to the gathering of the classes
of dealers into clans, in accordance with
the old adage, Birds of feather flock to-
gether." On B street between 9th and 18th
streets, what are known the wholesale
dealers are to be found. This class includes
those who come to the market with the
biggest loads and who desire to get away In
good season. They do not care to retail
/ their products out in small portions, but
they sell only In wholesale lots, selling
berries by the crate and peas by the barrel,
etc. They do not get much for what
they have, but they save much time for
their work on their farms.
Then there are the pure retailers. They
are to be found on b street between 7th
and 9th streets both s.des The stock
in trade for these stands Is not as large as
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

Certainly. For cauterizing they may
have used sharp-pointed instruments heated
red hot, as we use today; sometimes they
would appear to have used. for broad eau
terizations, wads of burning wool For
their cutting they had instruments of slick
or flint--and quartz so delicate and SO per-
feet that a modern surgeon might them
for the daintiest operations. The object of
these instruments has long puzzled scien-
lists and can only be explained by surgery"
And are these operated skulls found in
all parts of the world2' / Intercepted.
They may exist elsewhere, but until now
skulls coming from a very limited region
comprised between the Seine and the Disc
rivers and a distance some thirty miles
north of Paris. Skulls are more abundant
in other sections of France, but they do
not present these signs"
Then prehistoric surgery originated in
Paris. or did the wealthy residents send for
famous surgeons to come to them?"
Surgeons may have travelled great
deal" said DIR. Manouvrier, and ii Is even
possible that some may have come from
the orient to northern Gaul in the neoiithic
period But what could have been given to
them in form of remuneration. or what ex-
changes could have been made? And how
is it that they stopped to operate on no one
on the way? These questions render inn
probable the hypothesis of imported surgery
and confirm the Belief that surgery must
where operations were performed many
hundreds of years before the alleged au-
thors of surgery were born.
FRANCIS WARRINGTON DAWSON.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

otium is cut the skull stops thickening,
while the development continues elsewh here,
so that the scars appear very bad. although
the bone was not cut through. Take this
skull in your hands
oh thanks You may keep IT.
We'll, look at it. then. The patient was
operated on several times, so that he must
have had no trouble in resisting the effects.
He has the sincipital T, and Furthermore a
trepanning to one side Of it, and a cauter-
liza ton a little further away"
Then these prehistoric surgeons were
equipped with instruments for burning as
well as cutting?'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

In the others, and all of 1t is retailed out
to house wives and small boarding house
keepers. These dealers take more pains
with the layout of their wares and they
often stay all day before they have dis
posed of the last of their stocks.
Many storeheepers visit the market at its
opening hour. Not only do the storekeepers
around the city purchase their supplies
from these farmers, but also the keepers
of stalls in the interior OF the Center Mar
ket building order from the same source.
And in the first couple of hours that the
market Is running, many heavy wheelbar-
row loads are pushed into the building and
distributed to various stalls inside The
men and boys who deliver goods over the
city during the day are employed in carry
ing supplies from the outside dealers 4
the inside dealers during the early hours of
the morning. All of this trade is done by
the wholesale dealers along the curb. While
this trade is brisk, the retail trade is
usually dull and those dealers who cater to
it, have an extra hour in which TO prepare
for their business.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02

The hotel stewards are among the early
arrivals at the market, although at that
time they do not purchase all of their sup
plies. And these stewards do a surprisingly
small business with the dealers on the curb.
In purchasing their supplies they seem to
prefer to get them of the produce men on
the inside of the market. The reason for
this is not far to seek. Most hotels. espe-
cially those which keep abreast with the
times and supply best the wants of their
patrons. have to get fruits and vegetables
in advance of their season here. This
makes it necessary for them to buy much
imported goods, even at high prices. The
dealers in such articles are those who have
stalls In the market house. If the hotel
steward should turn all his trade to the
curb dealers as soon as they brought their
new fruits and vegetables into the market
the other storekeeper would feel aggrieXed.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
TIE r GRID.
GERMAN NOBLE Is
KILLED IN WRECK

BERLIN. Aug. 8.-Henry Palas.
Count Won Plauen, Prince Henry XVI
of Reuss. belonging to a collateral
branch Of the younger Reuss, line, was
among twenty persons killed in rail-
road wreck yesterday between Sperm
berg and Goerlitz, Prussia. The Count
had only q remote possibility of sue
cession to the government Of Ruess-
Gera. The railroad officials are severe
" criticised for having only single
track, where traffic is heavy and also
for refusing information regarding the
wreck, saying that the facts would be
published later after two commissioners
had been sent to the scene and had con-
cluded an investigation. The station
master after he had dispatched one ex-
press train, realized that the other was
moving in cantrary direction and
had not reached the switch. He ran
frantically after the disappearing train
until he became exhausted.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
BURBANK AND THE CACTUS.

Mr.. Burbank looks forward to time
in the not distant future when the cac
tus will become commercial posi-
bility. Enough already is known Of
the nature of the spineless cactus to
insure its enduring quality, and that
it may be produced as readily as its
forebears with the prickly spines. Mr..
Burbank estimates that it will cost
from SO to $25 to put out an acre of
the spineless cactus. This will be done
by the use of cuttings. He advises
sandy soil, as rich alluvial lands cause
too rank growth.
Mr. Burbank has employed his ex-
pert knowledge in many directions, and
has produced many results with fruits,
flowers and vegetables. OF the latter
the Burbank potato is perhaps the
most distinguished example, and it is
States have been enriched by at least
$2O,00O,000 through that single contri-
button. Others of his productions that
have been particularly famous are the
phenomenal berry. the plum-cot, the
everbearing rhubarb and the Shasta
daisy. The new products which soon
are to be given to the world are a
chestnut that bears within eighteen
months after planting the seed. and a
tomato plant yielding its fruit when
eight weeks old and six inches high.
The number of fruits and flowers,
either improved or actually originated
through breeding by Mr.. Burbank, is
approximately 1000.
Mr.. Burbank will. for the first time.
make a complete exhibit of his strange
plant products at the Lewis and Clark
exposition. The exhibit will contain
ali of the more famous products and
is sure to be of unusual interest.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
USE |MM| / | IS
JUST LIKE CATTLE
Steamboat Captain Arrested
fer Carrying Them With
out Accommodations.

NEW YORK. Aug. s.-Through the
arrest of Capt. Romaldo Paravich
Of an Austrian line steamship, charged
with bringing over geo steerage passen-
gers for whom there were not regula-
ton accommodations, it has developed
that ten secret service agents are trav-
cling for time in the steerage of in
coming steamers. Captain Paravich
was held in cash bail before a United
States commissioner.
It appears that the secret service
officers have been going on board at
quarantine and eating the food served
to the steerage passengers, sleeping IN
the quarters provided for them and
sharing their lot in all ways until they
are discharged on Ellis is and. The in
spection Is being made under orders of
Nevada N. Stranahan, collector Of the
port of New York.
This inspection is in addition to the
regular inspection of the ships, which
is done by uniformed Officials, who
board the ships at the end Of each voy-
age and formally report in detail the
| conditions they find to the collector.
Customs Inspector Lon gstreet alleges
that the ship commanded by Captain
Paravich was deficient in the accom-
modations for eating for the inning
rants; that there were no tables as the
! laws require. If this is proved the cap
tain may not only be fined $500, but
! be imprisoned for six months.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
WILL INQUIRE INTO
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

NEW YORK, Aug. 8-Plans on an
elaborate scale to collect accurate data
concerning municipal ownership in both
Europe and America have been made by
the executive council Of the National
Civic Federation. This body has select
ed a commission numbering about Is
members and including some Of Ameri-
cas- best known lawyers, scholars and
business men to meet early this fall and
determine upon methods for accomplish
ing the work. The need for such data
is stated 20 exist in the contradictory and
unsatisfactory information now av4ila-
be concerning the operation Of public
utilities. The subjects on which the
committee will seek informa ton are
stated under six heads as follows:
wages, hours and conditions of labor,
collective bargaining, cost and character
Of service. political conditions, civic ser
vice, spoils system and municipal corrup-
ton, financial results and taxation"
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
WILL NOT PARADE.
At LABOR FESTIVAL
Trades and Labor Assembly
Of Superior Decides This
\ at Meeting.

The Trades and Labor assembly at
the meeting last night voted not to
parade on Labor day and gave the COM
mitteee from that body full power In
the matter of arranging for the cele-
brat1on. The committee will meet to-
nigt to formulate plans for the days
outing. Tho action Of the Trades and
Labor assembly last night sets aside
all doubt Of there being a parade, the
Building Trades council having voted
against the proposition at a meeting
last week and the members of the COM
m1ttee who have charge of arrange
ments for the day are said to be much
adverse to marching on tho day In
question. At the conclusion Of the bus
mess session the last might the men,
bers listened to an Interesting address
by John Swift, prominent labor lead
er of Minneapolis.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
TWO FATALLY HURT
BY SHORT CIRCUIT

NEW YORK, Aug. 8.-Through the
short circuiting of a controller box on
the front Of a trolley car on the Bright
on beach line last night, two passengers
were fatally burned and two others SER
iously injured. Two Of the number
were women. Four passengers were on
the front seat. When the motorman
threw off the power at Neck Road and
applied his brake there was binding
flash followed by screams of pain from
those near the motor box. Enveloped
in a sheet of blue fire, they leaped over
the dashboard and saved themselves
from death. All the lights were extin-
guished and there was a terrific scram-
BILE among the crowd to reach the
ground. Several women and children
restored. Y. u. -. = -.sst
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-08-12
FLOATING POOL ROOM
WILL OPERATE AGAIN

KENOSHA, Wis, Aug. S.-The steam
room vessel Will leave for Chicago
sometime today and will probably be-
gin business Thursday. The deckhands
and other members of the crew reported
for duty today and started to work
preliminary to the steamer taking her
departure.
I'VE shall probably leave Kenosha
this afternoon or tonight" said Cap
tain Stephen Jones, land our business
will begin again on Thursday. On ar
rival in Chicago. the boat will lie at the
old docks until Thursday when the first
trip into the lake will be made"