VENTRICULAR DRAINAGE BY PUNCTURE OF THE CORPUS CALLOSUM

Abstract

It has long been known that in the course of an epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis an obstructive hydrocephalus may develop, either acutely at the height of the disease, or as a sequel after the subsidence of the acute symptoms. This was observed clinically and verified by necropsy as far back as 1865, when Ziemssen and Hess1published the first reports. These observations were confirmed by Hart2and Heubner.3The cases were all fatal, and the main interest in the subject was from the pathologic standpoint. Not until 1907, when Koplik4revived the discussion of the question, was there any suggestion that direct therapy might be efficacious. He made the symptoms pointing to internal hydrocephalus, namely, headache, vomiting, unconsciousness and convulsions, and Macewen's sign, the indications for the treatment of the meningitis by repeated lumbar puncture to drain the ventricles. His cases were all in children, and he