THE BEAST

The New York Times explains the reason behind the bizarre request:

“The technique, known as ‘awake craniotomy,’ allows doctors to operate on delicate areas of the brain — like the right frontal lobe, the site of Mr. Manzini’s tumor — without causing damage. Presumably, had he hit a wrong note, it would have been an immediate signal for the surgeons to probe elsewhere.

“’It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the tumor and normal brain tissue,’ said Dr. Basil Enicker, a specialist neurosurgeon who led the operation at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, in the coastal city of Durban. ‘Once you’re near a critical area, you can pick it up early, because he will tell you.'”