The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-26
BACKWARD BOY GETS
NEW THYROID GLAND
GOitrc From WOman'S Throat
Placed IN His Body Makes
Him Talk.
BOTH ARE GETTING WE'LL

Another marvel Of modern surgery. II
became known yesterday. was performed
recently in -. Mary's Hospital. Brook
iyn, with every indication Of success
nv an operation known as introductory
the extreme mental activity Of a woman
wa lc-scned and the backward mind OF
a child was brought closer TO the normal.
The operation itself was comparatively
simple. FREELY told. II consisted Of re-
moving part of u goitre IN the throat OF
the abnormal woman and inserting IL IN
the abdominal val, Of the subnormai
child. The Improvement in both cases
was marked.
The woman. who was about 81 years
old. came from q we'll TO do family in
Erooklvn. She had been suffering for
some time from the swelling ~ the
throat known cOlloquially as soitrc. BY
uhysitians this Is attributed to an en-
laTgement of the thyroid gland Just I'M
der the jaw,
This gland Is AZ present. 80 doctors
themselves say. but imperfectly conpre-
hcndcd by physicians. but they Know
enough Of it, functions to realize that
Il i. one Of the most remarkable organs
IN lf' NN'AN " - 49, @F
govern tine growth but to determine the
mental and nervous development. Be
cause OF tie excessive size OF the pa
tlcnt's thyroid gland. which Is known
technically as hyperthyroidisln. the
woman WAS in a highly sensitive state.
Hnd spell of Hyst~ria.
Sic was ucurotic. subject to hts OF
h,steria and was agitated by the slight
est disturbance. Consequently she de-
cided about the first week In March TO
e. to st. Mary's Hospital, which had
been particularly successful in the re-
duction Of thyroidal affections. When
she went there the chief operating sur
geon decided that he had an opportunity
. not only of relieving the woman but OF
benefting a little boy in whom he was
interested.
This %youngster. who was s years old.
was the son of prominent people in \r-
ginia. He suffered From lack " secre-
ions from the thyroid gland. which
caused him to he mentally defective. His
speech was limited and so indistinc, as
g. he uninto,ligible. and though he APP
parcntly recognized his toys when they
were held up before him he could not
namc them. His parents were DESTROYS
Of having the handicap removed. but
though the operating surgeon had prom
iscd assistance he had found only d's-
essed thyroids among his patients un'
vi the woman applied AT the hospital
Then he notified the lads father. who
immediately brought ms son mere Ar
operation was decided upon by the doc'
tors al ~. Mary elght hours aIter 'he
boy arrival. which made hS subsequent
good howin all the more STRIKING. On
April . he and the woman were placed
on adjoining operating tables. with three
surgeons IN attendance ana other physi-
clans at the hospital watching the unique
proceeding.
The woman was given an injection OF
cocaine in her neck, while the child was
put under "A general anesthetic, ether
being administered one lobe of thu
woman's thyroid gland was then taker
out and transplanted to the boy. beins
2 placed between the peritoneum. a mem
brane lining the abdominal cavity. anc
the fascia, a connective tissue covering
the vital organs. The operation wa:
over In an hour and a half.
10! nfR'ns ~ I"IA.
The woman. who had becn consc ous
and talking freely 10 the doctors DURING
the operstion Wit hon, feeling he slight
or main re,ny.red quickly The strair
ON her mind was greatly diminished. anc
though not restored to normal sensi
bility at once physicians at the hospita
~Rot. ,.rk.. -. ,,.n. araal s,.. la.s,