Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1912 — GIVEN A NEW BRAIN [ARTICLE]

GIVEN A NEW BRAIN

Delicate Organ Is Grafted Into Man’s Skull. Dr. Harry Cushing, Noted Specialist, Performs Marvelous .Operation Successfully at Baltimore Hospital —Patient Is Recovering. Baltimore, Md. —An operation that in the history of science has never had a parallel, either In delicacy or in skill, was performed the other day for the second time in the Johns Hopkins hospital by Dr. Harvey Cushing, the world-renowned brain specialist, and the patient, as a result, is on the road to recovery. It is believed the operation, which until a month ago was thought impossible by the best authorities on brain disorders, will prove a success. The patient, William Buckner of Cincinnati, came to Baltimore November 23, suffering with a peculiar affection of the brain. For weeks before his arrival he had been In a state of semi-coma, except at intervals.

He was placed under the care of Dr. Cushing. His case was a puzzling one, and after A number of X-ray examinations, during which photographs of the brain were taken, Dr. Gushing discovered that a portion of the brain had decayed and frayed tissues were causing the healthy section gradually to become affected. Dr. Cushing’s conception was this: To procure the brain of another patient as soon after death as possible and to transplant a portion of it into the skull of Buckner. The brain had to be healthy and from as young a person as possible. The transplantation of the dead brain and the procuring of it were two widely different things, however, and this was the difficulty confronting the physician, when one of his colleagues casually mentioned that a child had been born dead In one of the wards. Here was the opportunity. Dr. Cushing hurried to the ward and extracted the brain from the dead child before the body was cold. Meanwhile Buckner had been prepared for the ordeal. Then In view of about a score of professors and students, Dr. Cushing performed his greatest operation. He chiseled away the back of Buckner’s skull and with great care removed the entire brain, which was laid on a piece of linen beside the head; and could clearly be seen to quiver as each pulsation of the patient’s heart was noted. The diseased portion was then severed from the minor brain apd while Dr. Cushing was severing the

diseased section another surgeon was transplanting the infant’s brain. The major brain was left untouched, After the transplantation the member was restored to its former position and the section of the skull which had been cut out also was replaced. Buckner stood the operation exceedingly well, and it was later thought that he was well enough to leave the insttiution. vfath his wife at his side he was removed to the home of relatives in Charlottesville, Va., but a few days ago his condition became grave and he was sent back to the hospital. Dr. Cushing again performed an operation on the brain and replanted the tissues of the newly inserted member. Buckner was said to have been considerably improved.