Under the harsh light of a headlamp with a primeval scalpel in one hand, Dr. William Beecher Scoville was prepared to cut into the brain of his 23 year old epileptic patient. He leans over the operation table, looking deep into the hole he just drilled above Henry Molaison’s eyebrow. And with a hook like tool, he pulls aside the frontal lobe, reaching deep into the center of the brain towards the goal – the seahorse-shaped hippocampus. Using an electric cautery to snip it lose and a thin tubed vacuum to remove it, the surgery was complete.
In 1953, the precise function of the hippocampus was still shrouded in mystery. But the hippocampus was known to have a connection with epilepsy, proven by the successes of the removal of half a hippocampus …show more content…
He challenges the common notion that scientists are only “conquistadors who melt down Inca gold” (461). In order to fully understand the bird of paradise, Wilson asserts, there is a need to explore its outer qualities, the plumes, dance, and daily life in addition to its microfilament configuration, enzymatic catalysis, chromosomes, and fiber tracts (461). By analyzing the art, Wilson suggests another dimension is added to the understanding of the bird. The “hunter” or science, by itself, can only analyze on the level of the cell, “altering the scale of perception to the micrometer and millisecond” (461). Science allows us to glimpse into the why: why does the bird of paradise have such complex fiber tracts? But the “poet” or art gives us an answer: because its diet contains mainly of fruit and nuts which requires a complex digestion system to accommodate the high fiber intake. The outer qualities, Wilson stresses, opens “a deeper understanding through the exact description of their constituent parts. They can be redefined as holistic properties that alter our perception and emotion in surprising ways” (461). Together, with analysis on a scientific and artistic level, we can build a bridge connecting questions to their answers. And, as a result, we can resolve the …show more content…
He could remember his childhood, and most things leading up to his surgery, but nothing from then on. He was unable of learning new words, songs, names, and more. Often, he forgot who he was talking to if he turned away for a few seconds. For over five decades, Molaison was subjected to numerous tests. The results of these tests revealed the function of the hippocampus, long term memory making. Thus, the full comprehension of the hippocampus was made possible through the analysis of the structure and behavioral aspect when it was