Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtp47.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw From: throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) Newsgroups: net.sci Subject: Re: darwinism Message-ID: <95@rtp47.UUCP> Date: Fri, 19-Jul-85 18:57:32 EDT Article-I.D.: rtp47.95 Posted: Fri Jul 19 18:57:32 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 21-Jul-85 21:36:40 EDT References: <526@psivax.UUCP> <1486@bbncca.ARPA> <835@oddjob.UUCP> <315@phri.UUCP> <90@rochester.UUCP> Organization: Data General, RTP, NC Lines: 33 > If memory serves me correctly the people studied (those with 5 or 10% of > their brain left intact) were in their thirties and were functioning > perfectly. The reason they were asked to participate in this study was > because they were know to have had the disease as young children and > survived it because of the advent of a shunting technique that alowed > the liquid to drain from the brain. This is also largely how I recall the episode. However, the interviews I saw were all with people in their late teens or early twenties (the shunt was not developed early enough to have any 30-year-old survivors). Also, I beleive it was more like 15-25 % brain volume remaining. The CAT and PED scans showed were quite striking. > Again if memory serves me correctly, these people were born with normal > brains with no symptoms of the disease till their early years, ie > several months to several years. Till a remedial cure was found > (shunting) most if not all victims died by 4 or 5 years of age. I > suppose by this time so much of the brain was destroyed that death was > inevitable. One more nit to pick. I beleive that symptoms were present from birth, but were not detected for some months (since this is a fairly rare condition, and is not routinely looked for). What was finally noticed was the enlargement of the cranium due to increased pressure within. Other than these nits, this is the way I remember the episode also. The interviews were quite interesting, and to some degree a tribute to human perserverance. A young woman interviewed, when asked how she could possibly acheive so much with so little brain left, said that "whenever anybody said I couldn't possibly do something, I just had to prove them wrong". -- Wayne Throop at Data General, RTP, NC !mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw