From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



Dr Hallopeau reported to the Surgical Society an 

 operation at the Necker Hospital, the patient being 

 a young girl who had fallen out of a carriage on the 

 Metropolitan Railway. After trephining, it was 

 observed that a considerable portion of cerebral 

 substance had been reduced literally to pulp. The 

 wound was cleansed, drained, and closed, and the 

 patient completely recovered.' 



The following report of the session of the Academy 

 of Sciences at Paris, March 24th, 1917, appeared in the 

 Paris newspapers: 



4 Partial removal of the brain. Following on 

 previous communications on this operation, which 

 runs counter to ideas generally received, Dr A. Guepin 

 of Paris communicates a fresh study on this question. 

 He mentions that his first patient, the soldier Louis 



R , to-day a gardener near Paris, in spite of 



the loss of a very large part of his left cerebral hemi- 

 sphere (cortex, white substance, central nuclei, etc.), 

 continues to develop intellectually as a normal subject, 

 in despite of the lesions and the removal of con- 

 volutions considered as the seat of essential functions. 

 From this typical case, and nine analogous cases by 

 the same operator, known to the Academy, Dr Guepin 

 says that it may now safely be concluded : 



(i). That the partial amputation of the brain 

 in man is possible, relatively easy, and saves certain 

 wounded men whom received theory would regard 

 as condemned to certain death, or to incurable 

 infirmities. 



4 (2). That these patients seem not in any way 

 to feel the loss of such a cerebral region. 



' This study is referred to Dr Laveran for a 

 separate report.' 



This question is obviously of such importance in 



7Q 



