Evening star., 1937-05-06
BRAIN OPERATION
ENDS BACK PAIN
Belfast Two Years, D. C.
Woman Walks Again
After Surgery!
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,


An operation on the brain which
relieved an intense pain in the Lack
and enabled a woman who ha(d been
bedfast for II months to walk was
reported to the Ned:sal Society of the
District of Columbia at il IS annual
scientific assembly here today by Drs.
James w. Watts and Waller Freeman.
The operation was that known as
prefrontal lobotomy first performed
IN the United States by the two WASH
Ngton surgeons last year for the relief
Of purely mental symptoms which
simulated, and probably were actually
identical with, those of various psy-
ehiAtric diseases.
Previously this operation had been
performed only by the Portuguese
surgeon who originated it. The pro-
cedure was widely heralded at the
time as one OF the t,oldest and most
original steps in the history of sur
gerry, throwing open to the knife Of
the operator some OF, the deepest re-
cesses of human personality.
The interactions between mind and
body still constitute the most obscure
field Of medicine. The case reported
by the two surgeons today was that
Of a Washington woman who had
had 10 operations i1p years.
Finally she came % Gallinger Hos
pital with condition which appeared
to be a combination of rheumatic
heart disease and arthritis. After a
temporary improvement she sank into
8 coma from which she recovered,
but was unable to leave her bed.
Experienced Severe Pain.
She complained of Inability to move
her legs and Of an almost constant,
extreme pain in her lower back. This
was so sensitive that at the slightest
touch she went into spasms Of scream
Ing.
The operations PERFORMED by Drs.
Watts and Freeman have lent much
validity to the view that the part of
the cerebral cortex, or top Of the
brain, which lies directly behind the
forehead, is the motor of intelligence,
the center of those higher human
qualities OF imagination. will, ambi-
tlon, foresight, etc. 1t is evolution's
latest and most advanced venture.
When 1t becomes overactive Or gets
out OF adjustment with the rest of
the pattern of personality almost any
thing can happen.
The operation of prefrontal lobot-
omy consists of boring two holes, one
on each side Of the skull, at the line
where the prefrontal lobcs join those
areas of the b-lateral brain where
are located specifically the centers of
voluntary movement, and then, with
. specially designed instrument, cut
ting loose from the white matter of
the brain II marble sized cores,
These remain in place but are COM
pletely severed from all Surrounding
tissue 50 that they have no further
function.
The white matter underlies the law
ers OF gray matter which make up
the cerebral cortex. 1t is made IN
OF nerve f1bers over which impulses
travel. The cutting OF the cores from
the nerve roadways running from the
prefrontal lobes to the brain areas
behind them is like throwing UP bar
rlcades across road which do not
absolutely stop traffic but slow It
down
TIE overactive frontal lobes-mer-
ciless bosses Of the ersonaiity-have
their irresponsible authority curbed.
Hitherto the operation had proved
markedly uccessful-although ad-
mittedly some of the results have been
indiierent-in cases Of extreme nery-
Gus tension and erratic behavior. some
Of which seemed to cross the line into
definite insanity.
Trouble Traced to Mind.
Now the patient was not off" To
all outward appearances she! was a
physically, not mentally, sick person
She behaved about as would ohy other
normal invalid. Yet the trouble. all
other sufficient causes being 'elimi-
mated could be only in her mind. She
couldn't walk because of her milSd not
because Of her legs, although her legs
collapsed whenever she tried to istand
on them
The surgeons decided to try the
prefrontal lobotomy. The third day
after the operation she was able! with
q little assistance, to walk across the
ward. The next day she walked again
but sprained her ankle. It was natur-
ally rather weak after nearly two years
In bed. 1t didn't worry her any more.