The Placer herald., 1871-10-14
NUMBER 8.
THE BRAIN OF INSANE PERSONS.

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| In paper read before the late meeting of
the British Association of Science, by Or. T.
b. Tuke, the Doctor said: 1t is generally
acknowledged that the intellectual powers
are manifested through the gray matter of
the cerebrum, and as in insanity these facul-
ties were impaired, exaggerated, or pervert-
ed, the author asserted a belief that by ex-
amnng the brains of the insane hope ex-
listed Of discovering road for arriving at a
solution of the functional difficulty. The
time had passed when the term mental dis
ease, insanity, or madness, conveyed to the
minds of physicians the idea that the mind
or its faculties were the entities which were
the subject Of disease. BY process of
reasoning the pathologist had arrived at the
conclusion that abnormal physical manifesto:
tons are dependent upon primary Or second.
airy changes IN the nerve tissue; that insanity
is symptom of disease, not disease itself,
and that the cause Of the disease must be
looked for in the brain. Six years ago the
author commenced systematic microscopic
examination of the brains of the insane, and
with this most important result, that in every
single instance marked departure from
healthy structure was observed The pro-
cess by which the brain matter was made 6,
for the microscope was related, also list Of
twelve different parts of that organ which
had in the majority Of cases been examined.
After describing the various forms Of dis
ease, which are illustrated by diagrams and
microscopic sections, the paper concluded
with the following statements: We are no.
prepared to designate the individual part Of
The brain specially affected in the different
forms Of insanity; but we may say generally,
that tie corpora strata are the portions
most frequently found affected, and that the
cerebeum is the organ least frequently sub
jected to disease. Further, that the white
matter is much more liable to evident struc-
taral morbid change than the cortica sub
stance in comparatively recent cases, and
that where the intellect has been in abeyance
for prolonged periods, the structure of the
grey matter OF the cerebral convolutions is
difficult of demonstration, the layers are
found indistinct, as the cells are few in num-
Der and generally small in size. In the So
cases of chronic insanity which we have cx-
amned, we have found distinct structural
changes in the brain Of each. This in itself
is fact having a most important bearing on
the physiology of the brain, and one which,
if followed up, may be reasonably expected
to dissipate much of the mystery which
hangs over the functions OF its various parts.
DEcEIvING CHLDREN.-Dr. B. was called
to visit sick boy, twelve years of age As
he entered the house the mother took him
aside and told him she could not get her boy
to take any medicine except she deceived
him.
"Well, then," said Dr. B., 81 shall not
give him any. lie is old enough to be reas-
oned with"
He went to the boy, and after an exami-
nation, said 10 ni.a
MY little man, you are very sick and
must take some medicine. 1t will taste
badly and make you feel badly for little
while, and then expect it will make you
feel better"
The doctor prepared the medicine, and the
boy took it like a man, without any resist-
ance; and he would take from his mothe,
anything that the physician had prescribed,
but would take nothing else from her. She
had SO often deceived him, and told him it
was good, when she gave medicines, that he
would not trust to anything she said
Honesty with Children as well as with all
others, and in all circumstances, is the best
policy.