PRESSURE ON THE BRAIN

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14406, 17 May 1917, Page 8

PRESSURE ON THE BRAIN

PRISONER SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED ON.

£United Phem* Association.]

Auckland, May 14. A new departure in penology, so far as New Zealand is concerned, has boon made, an operation having been conducted for the removal of pressure on the brain of a prisoner. The case was that of a youth of nineteen yeara, who was undergoing a long sentence in connection with a charge of attempted murder. The attention of the Minister of Justice'was drawn to the matter by a report from Dr. do. Clive Lowe, of Auckland, who expressed the opinion that the boy's acts in the past" wore due to some pressure on the" brain, or some similar defect, possibly caused by a bad fall the lad was known to have sustained when about five years old. After an X-ray examination the doctor reported that, in his opinion, the condition referred to could be cured, and the patient restored to normality by a surgical operation. This was confirmed by a- southern surgeon. The consent of the boy's parents was obtained and Cabinet approved the Minister's suggestion that the operation should be allowed to proceed. Dr. Lowe performed the operation to-day., and he reports that it proved tho accuracy of tho clingnosis, and that tfce trouble to which he attributes the past acts' of tho patient was successfully removed. Mr. Matthews, Inspector of Prisons, supervised the necessary arrangements.