Evening star., 1948-06-25
Stars, Men and Atoms
- .fssg
Fear of Death Relieved
By Broin Operation
Lobotomy Development Found
In Hopeless Cancer Cases
By Thomas r. Henry

By Thomas r. Henry
CHICAGO. June 25.-Fear Of death can bs
relieved by boring holes in the brain.
This latest development Of lobotomy, the
radical brain operation first performed at
George Washington University Hospital about
fifteen years ago, was described to the Ameri-
can Medical Association here today BY Drs.
John B. Dynes and James l.. Poppen Of the
Lahey Clinic, Boston.
For several years it has been known that
incisions separating the frontal lobes from the
rest of the brain can relieve intractable pain
so that 1t no longer Is necessary to use
morphine in hopeless cases Of cancer. 1t also
relieves mental suffering, the two Boston doc
tors reported
Talk Freely After Disorder.
Patients who were racked with pain and
unusually fearful Of DEATH" DR.. Dynes said.
"after lobotomy could talk freely about their
disorder and approaching death with complete
detachment and apparent absence Of emotional
feeling or concern. Some never again COM
planned of pain in the few remaining months
of life but this was the exception and not
the rule.
The patient suffering from intractable pain
Dement'S in two ways The first Is by an alter
alton Of the pain pattern, the exact mechanism
of which is not known. The second Is by
alteration Of the patients personality so that
he no longer worries or Is concerned about
the problems Of living or the pain of dying.
THE great value for patients dying of malg-
nant disease is related more to the alteration
Of personality and reduction of mental suffer-
ing than it is actually to the relief Of pain,
although there were certain patients who never
again complained following the operation"
Performed Is Operations.
The alteration in personality was distinct in'
most cases, they reported. In some the be-
havior OF the patients was uninhibited and they
were somewhat restless. In others thinking
and acting were slowed and there was q striking
reduction in interest and driving energy. n
The Boston doctors reported that they have
performed 1s such operations in hopeless cases
10 that patients no longer would be dependent
on drugs
Persons with rubber sedn" and double joints
are victims Of distinct disease of unknown
cause.-the so-called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome--.
according to q report to the association by
DR.. Sture A. M johnson of the University Of
Wisconsin and DR.. Harold F. Falls OF the
University OF Maryland. 1t is not rare
disease, they said, and is much more frequent
in men than women.
Handicap IN Heahng.
The ability to stretch the skin and have II
snap back like a sheet of rubber they said.
is decided handicap in the healing of wounds.
Small cuts may become wider, longer and
deeper as a result of skin edges pulling away
from the wound. Ordinary sutures tend to pull
out so that skin clips and adhesive tape bridges
must be used. The skin is 50 vulnerable that
q laceration requiring six stitches has been
caused by q mere twisting of the wrist ~
Besides being slow to heal, the doctors rs-
ported cuts In rubber skin" often leave bad
scars. The condition often is associated with
fragile blood vessels. Large tumors full OF
blood may occur following blows which are
not hard enough to break the skin.
There is essentially no treatment for the
condition, they reported, other than warning
a patient to be careful. Although there are
few reports in medical literature, the syndroms
is not rare. 1t is entirely due, the reporting
doctors said to heredty but in thousands OF
persons this Is lost sight Of because the condi-
ton occurs in such a mild form.