THE PURPOSE of this paper is to present observations on the physical and psychologic status of men with penetrating injuries of the brain seen in the late period of recovery. How are these men several months after they were wounded and on their arrival at a general hospital in the United States? How well have they tolerated cerebral injury under modern surgical methods and control of infection? What continuing problems, symptoms and defects do they have at this stage?
Reports on the residual signs of craniocerebral injury often evidence little regard for underlying pathologic or physiologic changes or factors in selection of cases. It was demonstrated by Denny-Brown1 and emphasized by Lynn and associates2 that there is a difference in the intracranial alteration produced by trauma of the acceleration-deceleration type, crushing trauma and penetration of missiles. In the first type of trauma diffuse cerebral alteration results; in the