Evening star., 1934-05-03

II a ava SANA1o VA bAiN iAfAIS Va oAiL
- with many of its finer details
| brought out in sharp relief
L now are feasible through a
method demonstrated for the
first time before the Medical Society
of the District of Columbia meeting
here today.
A hole is first drilled through the
skull to admit into the brain cavities
a "colloidal suspension of thorium
dioxide," which stops the penetration
of X-rays. This substance is mildly
radioactive but. 1t was explained by
DR.. Walter Freeman, Washington
neurologist. this property probably
has very little to do with the excep-
tional results obtained.
In the past the only way to secure
a picture of the inside of the brain
was first to fill the cavities with air.
In such cases the details often were
blurred. there was considerable dan
ger in the ''def1ation" process unless
it was carried out with extreme care,
and there was often an aftermath of
very severe headache. The thorium
dioxide method, DR.. Freeman ex-
planned, apparently is much safer.
The colloidal suspension of the metal
is rapidly eliminated through the
blood stream and kidneys.
This method is being used by Dr.
Freeman. DR.. H. W. Schoenfield and
Dr. H D. Shapiro at George Wash
ington. Gallinger, Garfield and Chill
tnl 70
the detection of abnormalties in the
ventricles of the brain, which would
have been quite questionable by the
old method
Sleep Drug Questioned.
The use of hypnotic drugs to induce
sleep. although sometimes justified, is
a highly questionable procedure in
many cases. the Washington doc
tors were told by Dr. Harry Stack
Sullivan, noted New York psychiatrist
since a disorder of sleep is frequently
symptom of something which has
gone. wrong with that aspect of the
patients life which lies below the
level of consciousness.
In such cases, he insisted. use of
most of the popular sleep-inducing
drugs is somewhat dangerous, since by
themselves they bring about a tempo
rary change in personality which may
be in the wrong direction. There
are some patients. he said, who cannot
sleep and others who sleep too much
in both cases as a result of facing
problems which they cannot answer.
The present vogue, he said, is a
drug known as sodium amytal, a
very effective sleep preserver. When
the person wakes his condition is
somewhat like that of a man on a
mild drunk. His judgments are
simpler and there is a reduced feel
ing OF self criticism But such a per-
son is more in need than the average
OF all his faculties to meet a hostile
world. Even if the drug did no actual
harm, DR.. Sullivan said, the sum
total OF its effect is that he has
grown Older without coming any
nearer a cure Of his real trouble.
The person who sleeps for abnor-
mally long periods. he said, belongs
to a different type of personality
which has this method of escaping
contact with world which it hates,
Both these difficulties, he pointed out.
should not be considered from the
standpoint of themselves alone. but as
forerunners of nervous breakdowns
or even insanity which may be fore
stalled if taken in time.
Powerful Sleep Dynamism
The sleep dyLamisnI. DR.. Sullivan
said, is very powerful thing and
slngularly detached from the ordinary
worries Of life. 1t is activated very
largely in the unconscious levels OF
the mind, and thus is beyond the con-
troll Of the conscious efforts of the
individual. BY watching such clues
he insisted, the family physician can
often get fair view into the future
One of the greatest assets of any
individual in the turmoil of modern