The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-10-09

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The young priest sprang from his
chair and stod trembling before me-
His face was livid with the exercise
of some tremendous mental effort, and
| could see that the white nails of his
clenched hands were driven deep in
to the flesh. For full minute ne
stood thus, and then his strong frame
relaxed, and he sank back into ms
chair, white as the paper on winch
write, and weak as babe.
l stepped to the window and gazed
up into the gray sky, as if looking FOR
a solution of my perplexity. l turned
suddenly, in response to the young
clergyman's voice. He had risen, and
was advancing toward me.
do you believe in phrenology, DR..
Marston?"
Most assuredly | do not"
Twill you perform an experiment
upon me to test the reasonableness of
your doubt?"
"Do you mean by that, will l as
sumo your case surgically?"
Exactly"
| turned to the window again. Here
was certainly an opportunity to con-
tribute something to the discussion OF
a vexed scientific question. Are the
functions of the brain localized in its
structure?
well, will you take the cas$"
The clergyman's hand was on my
shoulder. l turned and looked him
squarely in the face. as it under
stood that you assume all the risk,
and that you do not hold me respon-
sible for the psychological result OF an
experiment which, so far as am con-
cerned, is purely physical in its char
acter?"
Certainly. We will have it so I'M
derstood."
Then you may call at my office to-
morrow morning at II. Eat light
breakfast, and, as far as possible,
avoid excitement of every kind
1t seemed strange instruction to be
giving a clergyman; but the young
man understood and nodded approval.
In few minutes he took his depart
ure, and l returned to my Medical
Journal-but not to read.
Precisely at II o'clock the next
morning my singular patient walked
into the Office.
Five minutes later my patient, di-
vested of coat, vest and collar, lay
stretched on the operating table. In
five minutes more he was under the
influence of ether.
My first procedure was to shave the
dark soft, silken hair from the lower
part of the young mans head l then
made two V-shaped incisions with
lancet at the base of the skull, where
phrenologists locate the organ of anna
tiveness, and raised the flap of skin
from the skull. The next thing was to
get at the brain ITSELF and this | &C.
complished by boring two fine holes
through the skull with the smallest
trephine known in surgery. The por-
ton of the brain thus exposed, l was
amazed to find, was in highly in
famed condition. Instead of attempt
ing to relieve the surcharged brain
with any instrument, l now placed
leech at each orifice, and allowed
considerable amount of blood to be
thus withdrawn. / then dressed the
wound antiseptically, and closed II
with sutures.
My patient soon came out from I'M
der the influence of the anesthetic, but
I n m
my arms and carried him to the couch
in my private room. Enjoining strict
quiet, and, if possible, sleep, left him
alone for a couple Of hours. At the
end of that time, considering 1t safe
TO permit him to talk, re-entered the
room with considerable curiosity, not
to say agitation, and asked him how
he was feeling. To my establishment,
he grasped my hand warmly, exclaim-
ing that he would consider me his
greatest benefactor as long as he lived.
For" he cried, you have saved my
soul from its otherwise certain ruin.
Thank God l feel now no more emo
ton at the thought of that woman
than of any other of her SEX"
rbrought my patient some refresh
ment. and at three O'Clock he left my
Office in high spirits. promising to re-
turn again the next day to report upon
his condition.
For three weeks the Rev. Alexander
Maeck-as l will call my clerical pa
tient-kaunted my Office every day,
and we became fast friends. During
all thin time he was entirely free
from disturbing sentiments. The
flames of love, he declared, were
quenched, and he was supremacy
happy.
So favorably. l must confess, did
this experiment dispose me toward the
neglected science of phrenology that
1 at once began to direct my studies in
that direction, and soon accumulated
: large number of expensive books on
the subject.
About six weeks after the occur
rences above related, and just after I
had posted an order for several hun
bred dollars worth of chronological
vvorkq the latfer-carrfer came into nv