New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-28
NERVOUS FORCE.

OXYGEN, SlkNtHNiNf, AND fttE Nlii-lhh
.t-SrrY OF THE NERVE FORCE.
f.rou A. OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or rHE rRIBUNEl
ROsroN, Feb. 2d.-PrOf. AgasSiz on one occasion
last Winter, speaking TO the writes Of his friend Dr.
Hrown-S6Quard. declared that the people Of New
York where the Doctor resides, did not know what
manner Of man they had among them; that his
wonderful ability had never been fully recognized.
T. this true not As il concems New-lork, Boston
Al least has awakened TO an appreciation of his
emineuce. The popularity Of his lectures may be
seen from the fact that supply of tickets equal to
the full capacity Of the hall OF Lowell Institute was
d.postd Of within thrcoQuarters Of an hour after
tac Office was opened.
The heavy snow-siorm last night, which seriously
5mDeled travel subiractcd somewhat from the
crowd which might have been expected at the greet
ing But there was, nevertheless, good, solid.
woathcr-proof audicuce on hand, which contained
some of the most eminent physicians in Boston.
Those who know Of DR.. Brown-Sequard's devotion
10 Prot AgasS6 in his last sickness need scarcely be
reminded of the great Affection they entertained for
e,cl other The Doctors feeling tribute to the
memory of has friend did not fail to awaken the
sympa HES of his audience. The lecture was Is
follows:
I,ptrs AND CTNrt MIN: T have no doubt you will
excuse the emotion that is upon this time. Last
wear when met yea here there was sitting there man
who certainly deserved the great admiration that mas
bestowed upon him. and who's qualities OF helrt
were 80 great that although admired him more than
admio any oue vet loved him It'll more. His absence
today ins!lacs the foellrgs that are upon Inc.
Tn, lectures have o. deliver here on subject
which full Of Interest and which deserves more studT
chan has obtained Tie various che ts produced by
nervous force are certainly for persons VINO have
nothing Whatever to do with medicine ull OF interest
am may say Of Importance. viii 90 further lhaye
no doubt that pcr.ons who have not al al engaged in
shN medical profession could do more perhaps than
PHYSICIANS, as regards discovering certain OF the
pecuIiarites OF nervous force. Physicians I'M
rbuuhstely-I speak Of myself well a. of others
biasod. TuiS bias prevents progress hey have
received an education which has given them certain
bottoms and those notions prevent free examination
of certain questions Tue unbiased minds OF per51ns
who have not studied medicine on who, If they have
studied the foundations OF It, have not engaged in the
practice Of the profession permt shcIn 10 investigate
AMI discover Perhaps result of the lecture That
shall deliver hers it viii be given to soma OF yoh To push
forward discoveries in that liue.
Before entering the proper subject OF This lecture
u Is essential TO pass review some Of The elementary
oucstions OF physiOogy I shall do II very rapidly.
There are two elements in the nervous system which
are united together. but which are however absolutely
distinct the the other. One consists in the
nerve cell, which You represented on the board.
have made IL nearly round but it is very rarely that
IL 10 50. That cell has starting from 1t number OF
nlsmeuts In the spinal cord aud ia the brain
1hoae cells generally have element entirely
different from the Others, and that element
IS smar to the other element dud in the neryou.
system that f.. hDers. There therefore two kinds
Of elements In the nervous system. tbers and the
cells with their proou cations whit becomes OF those
prstOngatOus Is not known and IL may perhaps remain
always unknown TO us in this would lts to be feared
that the power OF our microscopes will remain pretty
nearly j. and that be the then we shall
never know much regards the ramiRcat.on
OF those fbers. But the remarkable point Of which
have not yet spoken. and which ought 10 keen In
MAD IS that the Of the system uucd
those cells within the nervous centers that is the
BRAN and spinal cord there Is hut those nbers
united cells In other parts OF the body there
coils which real f5ers starting rom them Ne
aides the ramihcations.
A DEITHmOW TO ANIMAL MAGSETIsX
Now the nervous force Is produced IN those elements
OF the nervous system. have necd, OF course, 70
give definition Of nervous force, or force as
you will perhaps prefer call IT, 1t rs that force which
itself in actions. The nerve force
belongs only the elements have described. Arc
any instances in which ind nervous force
without the existence OF those two eIementsi This
question is now ccded in ths way. There are animals
IN which. and there are circumstances In man in
which. the tissue does not exist evidently
in the way l have described. aud still there is
a nervous force; that It appears that nervous
force can exist without the nervous elements. There
are conditions especially monsters. where the spinal
cord
resembling tkUse OF the nervous system are no.
rcSognzod and still there is action. and there
fore, nervous force Insome low forms there also
which DO Rot represent at all the known elements
OF the nervous system hut which, nevertheless there
IA nervous action and therefore nervous force. pro
fessonal friend in Paris has shown that there are
tain instances OF disease In in which the nervoas
system Is 40 Transformed that 10 lie hardy recognizable,
yet there probability that 1t acted aud that
nervous force man Tested
But the great question is mot there The great due"
ton whether the bonn larcs OF the system
also tho boundaries health OF that nervous force In
other words the peryous force spring out OF The
.srvous system produce some action ! AS regards
this may say that there facts 10 prove H. Sou
can easily understand that IL right this death
blow TO what is called animal magnetism But this IS
point that we VIII debate more at length by and by
All I wish 10 say IN this Introductory lecture
ON this point is that there Is Ike
hhood 81 all that force can get
away FROM the limits which are cor
stutei by tissue There IS no question now
ever that nervous force manifest itself outside OF
shs boundaries Of the system but IL manfests
iself often after having been transformed into another
force II is well known that nervous force 10 trans
formed into motor This sm doing at present
It's owing to motor force that you have any voice at
present This transformation into motor force takes
place OF every moment OF lives Other rsnsfOTma
lions are also OF great interest You wen know that there
are fishes that possess electric apparatus 10 them
which 30 10 the electric apparatus are spOr
Inuu.. nervous force, ana not
electricity. As the nervous force s fet 10 thaI
electric apparatu- eieetricty IS evoiveo Eee.rSy -
transformation ia that case OF nervous IoIeS lus az
know that that be transformed into eieclilcy
or electricity into he ~ heat into motion, and motion
into hea &c. There are ANIMALS when are phosphoreb-
cent and which under act OF Their WILLS 30 lar
as We eau judge. anu under me inhaeHee OF Tue
evolved ss transformation Of nervous force