SURGICAL MARVEL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15426, 15 August 1914, Page 6

SURGICAL MARVEL.

MONKEY'S GLAND GRAFTED ON A CHILD. A great sensation has been, created in the scientific world by a communication by Dr. Voronoff, of Nice, to the Academy of Sciences describing the cure of a child who, after an attack of measles at the age. of eight, had her physical and mental growth arrested for the nest six years, and till she was fourteen was practically a degenerate imbecile.

Dr. Voronoff, who- was a pupil at Dr Carrel's school of human grafting in New York, conceived the daring idea of transplanting the right-hand lobe of the thyroid glarid of a big baboon to the cervical region of the child. He actually performed this operation six months ago at Nice in the pi-esence of 19 confreres. The results were astonishing, surpassing all expectation. Every month, it is claimed,, the physical and mental condition of the child has' improved with giant strides, as is seen in a series of photographs issued. ' _ Her face gradually lost its earthy tint, the swelled features were reduced to the natural proportions, and tho whole shape of her head changed, and her growth was resumed. Instead of apathetic and idiotic expression and movements, the child grew more and morely lively and intelligent, till now she is a very i mischievous and turbulent tomboy. Tho awakening of her mental faculties is even more curious, and her schoolmasters and a medical commission, who are keeping the child under observation, are unanimous in testifying to her sudden rapid progress in her studies.

The case is most extraordinary, and it will bo most interesting to'follow further developments and to note whether any simian characteristics will become definitely observable or merely human normal intelligence. Dr. Voronoff gave many technical deta;Js, attributing his success to certain indispensable precautions he observed—namely, the mast rigorous asspticism and the taking of the shortest possible time in introducing the foreign graft into its place. 'Further, he states that the gland must be grafted in a- region rich in blood vesse's, and by numerous sutures it is necessary to create multiple points of contact through which the capillaries quickly penetrate the foreign graft and' assimilate the patient's organism. If no untoward results fVlow it appears that a process has br<en discovered which may restore hundreds cf harmless idiots and accidental imbeciles to normal healthy conditions of existence. —London "Standard."