Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1842-08-09

and another" lie added. that he experienced an
impulse TO 20 IN different directions at the same
time.
There were other experiments, of a less painful
character that produced very remarkable results.
DR.. b. requested T-to read from work placed
before hun. lie began in his usual tone of voice.
As he proceeded, DR.. b. by exciting certain por-
tons OF the brain, strengthened his voice. rendering
1t full and sonOrous and then, by counter action,
muiiled it's tones las those of the piano by
poying soft pedal so that he appeared to read
with effort, and in a half whispered voice, that was
scarcely audible across the room. This
peated again and again, so that the reader was
rested IN the midst OF sentence and, whenever.
the voice was weakened, it required some urging to
induce To continue the exertlcn Of reading at
all.
\ pleasing experiment in the voice was the fol-
lowing DR.. b. requested to be furnished with some
poetry Of simply pathetic character. The piece
commencing
"py the of poor old mar"
was selected Under the excitement of the organs
of sympathy and compassion, T-repcatcd the
four asst lines with a tone and true to
nature and replete with genuine pathos that
those present were affected almost to tears The
last line especially,
ooh, give relief, and heaven will bless your store"
was delivered touchngly, the hands clasped, the
eyes raised to heaven the accent that of mploring
enlreaty. that every one looked his neighbor in
silent admiration. DIR. ID. then begged that T
would repeat the lines more. The first three
were given with the eloquent feeling for
mery but as T-concuded the third line DIR.
b. changed his fingers to some of the harsher or
CANS; and as If by magic, the countenance harden
ed the eyes lost their mild lustre; the hands
dropped and clinched and the concluding
entreaty burted forth a grulf tone Of surly
impatiencc, SO utterly at variance with the words
and the manner in which the commencement ofthe
staBza had been recited, that the effect Irress
tibly ludicrouS.
Further experiments went to establish the fact,
that the upper organs of the head have
uence in raising the pitch of the voice, the basilar
organs in lowering it.
Several experiments we're made touching the IN
fiuence that may be exered on the respiratory func
tions. Inspiration and expiration produced
and arrested at the touch of the operator. At his
will, respiration hurried to that of fever, or
retarded till it resembled succession of sighs.
Experiments made while DR.. NJ of our town held
his finger the pulse, showed that by excitement
of different portions of the brain, almost any de-
scription of pulse could be produced hard, soft
full wlrv quick or slow. At one time the pulsa-
tions of the heart much reduced as 10 be
hardly perceptlbe to the hand at another the pulse
bounded as under the influence of sudden passi :;
and again at another 1t indicated violent tebrle ac
tlOn in several of It's stages.
i An attempt o the organ of taste, as to
enable = to distinguish different substances
moistened and applied to the tips OF his fingers, was
not successful, in his An effect indeed
; produced on the salivary glands, but 10 precise
} taste could be distinguished.
In the case of Miss l.. W, however, who was ac-
cidentay discovered to be mpressibe this expert
,nent fully succeeded. She distinguished, in
ground coffee, cayenne pepper, salt sugar
etc. But observed that 1t was necessary to allow
time ell between each trial, as the taste
of the first substance seemed TO nger so as to rem
der her pton of taste less quickly discrmiuat-
ing, after the first test.
| have omitted mention that several expert
ments were made L. c., IN the presence of the
two medical gentlemen above referred TO, by acting
alternately on the organs of calorifcaton and cool
ness thermometer introduced into his
mouth VIII ch showed the temperature to be nine
ty-eight. In one minute and fifteen seconds it was
reduced 10 ninety two in one minute and thirty
five seconds more it raised to ninety eight IN
two minutes and baltimore to between ninety nine
and hundred and again in one minute and forty
seconds from that time it sunk to ninety-One
/ when it was found necessary to discontinue the cx-
pertinent as the patients teeth began to charter
and he unable to retain the thermometer longer
in his mouth.
The organs Of physical GOODNESS and Of fear arc
neighbors and seem to be allied, so that IN exciting
the one the other usually becomes active. 1t would
D seem that the common expression "hls teeth chat
5 tered for very fear, is physiologcally accurate.
The last experiment is, perhaps, to a scientific
man, the most satisfactory of all. lmag natioI
may larry enough DC supposed TO nave It's influence
IN modifying some OF the results which have pre-
, viously detailed but the thermometer cannot lie.
II an interesting fact connected with these ex
periments, that galvanlsm produces an effect IN eX
citing the organs OF the bran similar to that of the
nervous fluid but irritating in its action. The
e wires of the galvanic battery, (armed with small
sponge to deaden TIE shock,) applied to L :
5 head bat the excitement created great, ans
so difficult of government, that 1t deemed cXPe
dent to discontinue the experiment. 1t ought here
be mentioned, that L. is peculiarly susceptible
: to galvanic influences. \ galvanic circle forme,
{ simply 10y applying plate OF zinc three inches
square above hand, and plate OF copper OF tht
same size below 1t, instantly produced involuntary
r twtchings in the hand extending up hIs arm, L
I the shoulder. similar circle established ihrougf
the tongue intolerable. i. is also very strong
ly effected By electric shock.
I'm attemptto Identify the galvsnic and nervous
n fluids, by causing the latter to defect the needle o
an estate galvanomiter, proved unsuccessful; bu
. 1t is to be remembered, that the galyanomitcr wa:
+ Of very delicate construction, a, for per
tecty satisfactory experiment, 1t ought to have been
A series of experiments made III Dr. O.. labora
tory, relative to the capabilities Of different boGic
. TO conduct the nervous fuid, furnishes the follow
ing general results
| OF upwards of one hundred inorganic bodies, al
were more or less capable OF transmitting the ner
vous influence but of these, metals an1 metallic
ores the best conductors. OF inorganic bod ies
: muscular tissue conducted best, and with more "a
pidlty than metals whilst horn, bone. whaiebone
. tortoise she'll beeswax feathers and silk, but espe
: cial.y hair, appeared to be conductors. Per
haps on that account. hair Is the suitable GOV
> erng Tor the head-the central region OF nervou
= action.
y Il appeared also that the conducting powers o
substances augmented with their volume and 1.
= mnished as the distance was increased throug