The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-02-20
VOLUME
MISCELLANY.
MYSTERIES OF THE NERVES.
DIR. BrOWn-Sequard Combating Ac
cepted Theories.

! DIR. Brown-Sequard lectured in Plym-
uoth Church, Brooklyn, Thursday even
/ ing, on mental phenomena. The famous
scientist is apparently fifty years old, and
notably handsome. His gray hairs and
whiskers are neatly trimmed, his fea-
lures are clearly cut and striking, and
his color is youthful in its freshness.
Mr.. Beecher introduced him to the au-
dience, which included the majority of
the preachers and physicians of Brook
| lyn, besides a good share of the Plym
9th congregation. The platform had
been fitted up for the occasion with
reading desk, a row of gas jets, and
blackboard. DIR. Brown Sequard took
his place at the stand; on which he laid
his cane and prefaced his speaking with
a gocd-natured, half-deprecatory smile.
His first utterance betrayed his French
accent, which is so strong that close at
tention was necessary on the part of the
audience in following his meaning
throughout the lecture.
He started with dividing the nervous
system into the elements of cells and
fbres, which ramify- the brain and
spinal column. The nerves are net
work of the fibres connecting with the
cells, and the irritation of either produ-
ces both action or arrest of action. The
irritation of any of the cells of the brain
may affect some other part of the brain,
or some remote part of the body, or the
| irritation of nervous fibres in any part
of the body may affect the brain. From
these facts arise the complicated phe-
nomena of mental and nervous disor-
dres, and the difficulty of understan-
| ding them. If cold water be injected
| into the ear an immediate and very
marked effect will be the result in the
nervous system.
WHAT KILLED THE IRON DUKE.
"One of the greatest of military he
roes," said the lecturer, "the Duke of
Wellington, employed a quack, who in
| iected nitrate of silver into his ear. The
Duke at once rolled and squirmed like
an eel being friend" He showed with
his cane how the duke squirmed like an
eel being fried, and the audience laugh
ed heartily. "But that did not cure
him." added the lecturer, his dialect adj
ding to the quaintness of the illustra
ton, "and the next day the quaek tried
the experiment again. This time he
did get enough of it-and of life, too,
| he died the next day"
| To show how small a nervous irrita-
ton may cause serious effects, he told
of hoy who upon getting up one morn
ing was attacked with acute mania and
convulsions at once ceased; but whenev-
er he got on his feet the symptoms re-
turned with great severity. The surgeon
who was called made thorough exam
ination, and in doing SO found that the
boy had the day before run piece of
glass under the nail of one of his big
toes. This had Injured a nerve in such
a way that the pressure of standing on
the foot invariably threw him into the
the alarming symptoms. A cutting
away of portion of the the effected an
entire cure. That minute irritation
may have immense power over the brain
and nerves was illustrated by other sim
liar cases, and he regarded the field
which these facts open for scientific re-
| search as vast.
The phenomena of arrest of action
| 81 Of nd
in handling it the lecturer first spoke of
the great power of the will in arresting
convulsive movements. Our consci-
business leaves US during sleep through
an arrest of activity similar to that pro-
duced by irritation of a certain nerve in
the neck. Commissions are the result of
irritation of particular cells. He had
had thirteen cases in his own practice
in which pressure of the big toes stop
ped convulsion in the legs. In epilepsy,
when the head is drawn toward one
shoulder, relief can be procured by
pressing the head over toward the other
shoulder.
In discussing affections of the brain,
the lecturer said that an injury to the
brain might produce mania; yet dis
eased brain might result in no outward
symptoms. He knew of cases where
half of the brain had been entirely dis
eased and no affection of the intellect
had resulted, and others where very
slight hurts had caused violent mania.
WHAT PARENTS OUGHT TO KNOW.
"These are facts" he said, (which
show that each of the two sides of the
brain is complete, and able to perform
singly the offices of both. l am satis-
fed that we make a great mistake in
not teaching our children to use both
sides of the body alike. We ought to
be able to write as we'll with on hand as
with the other. 1t would be great
gain if both sides of the brain could
thus be developed equally by the even
use of the body"
He combated the accepted theory oi
the influence of mind over the body
which is that the action is like playing
upon piano, or the automatic indica.
tor in hotel. His objection to it was
that the number of nerve fbres connec
ting the brain with the body, by the way
of the spinal cord, are very few com
pared with the possible movements o
the various parts of the body. He drew
dotted circles on the blackboard to il
lustrate the unnumbered positions which
a hand takes in simple operation, anC
asked how there could be fibre TO
each of them. His second argumen
: against the accepted theory was that il
: many instances the medulla oblongata
or bond of union between the brain ant
body at the top of the spinal column
had been in great degree destroyed
, yet the movements of the body had beel
perfected as before. He also denied TIL
> theory that any mental power is seate'
: in any part of the brain-such as tn
mental control of speech, sight, etc. -.