National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-23
THE BRAIN POWER OF MAN.
has HE TWO BRAIKsf Or HAS HE
ONLY ONEf

ONLY 0NEf
DIR. BRoWN-sEQUARD's THEORIES -HE
CLAIMS THAT WE HAVE TWO BRAINS
ONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE OTHER
ON THE LEFr-TaE LATTER NURTURED
no THE NEGLECT OF THE FoRMER-BoTH
SHOULD BE EDUCATED TO PERFECT
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
A very large and Intelligent audience Of ladies
and gentlemen assembled last night in the Con-
Rregatioual church. corner Of Tenth and g streets,
10 hear the distinguished physician, DR.. Brown
Sequard, Of Boston, discuss the question, "Havc
we two brains or only onef and II two, why NOT
educate bothf"
The lecturer YVES appropriately introduced oy
Professor Henry, who stated that the lectare Wa
one Of . series generously provided Tor Dy IL
Toner
views, he hoped being somewhat mover, 'Wouio
command attention. The facts he would dwell
upon were new probably would not DC generaliy
accented and perhaps would not be easily under
stood by those not familiar with medicine.
Have we two brains9 and, II SO, why not edu-
cate both9 Tho views OF science upon this sub
Iect were different from his. The LEFT side Of the
body was the side aGordng volltion to the brain,
and vtee verse the right side ofthe brain afforded
'Tolition to the body. Eminent authorities had
declared that either side Of the brain was compe-
tent for this purpose.
But we use only one side, and, therefore, leave
out Of account one half Of brain matter. We owe
due educationt TO both sides Of tho BRAIN or rather
to the two beams.
had cited established the fact that either side Of
the brain was competent for full development Of
the faculties. There were many persons Of two
minds, because they were never able 70 make up
their minds. Some men claimed to be rational
while they were insane. There were many cases
: that show clearly that there were two brains.
He had known . boy in London that mani
testify had two brains whose peculiarities he de-
scribed He would fall into q comatose state, and
suddenly open his eyes brightly, InquirIng Of his
mother why he was not introduced 70 the gentle
, man who was present while he was asleep. Again,
the lecturer saw him when the boy recognized
him. He had two mental lives. He knew moth
ing of what occurred in his sleeping condition,
when fully awake; and when in the latter oondi-
tIon he knew what had occurred when In the
former The lecturer had seen three cases Of this
kind.
q. AS regards faculty Of speech, the fact that we
had two brAios was not 50 easily proved. The loss
OF the faculty Of expression depends upon deseaae
Of the LEFT side Of the brRn and this proves that
the right side is distinct.
AsIegards sight, theory has been put forth
by o celebrated physician OF London that
the right side Of the base Of the brain is
the centre Of sight. The inner half Of the right
eye and the outer half Of the LEFT eye have the
base Of the brain as the centre. A disease In the
left side Of the brain, where the optic nerve
touches would therefore affect only one-half OF
the brain. Notable cases were given in which
Sparties had seen but one-half Of certain objects
that they gaEed upon. If the disease exists only
in the Lent side Of the base Of the BRAIN only one
many cases that go TO sustain the philosophers.
But we do not accept conclusions unless theory is
thoroughly supported.
There were three series Of facts, but one would
be enough, to show that the theory should be re-
jected. Disease OF the brain, where the optic
nerve touches, would not be sufficient to cause loss
Of sight. One side Of the brain would be sufficient
to sustain sight. An alteration In any portion Of
the nervous system, acting upon other parts, can
produce disease in that part Injury to the spinal
cord would produce loss Of sight on either side.
There was nothing more common than the loss Of
sight temporarily in children who suffered from
worms in the stomach. ANY injury In one half Of
the brain can exist without producing loss of
sight. Either half Of the brain may, therefore,
serve to sustain sight.
As to the voluntary movements, these depended
upon the action OF the body. Yettncre were many
small muscles which were not affected In cases of
paralysis. There we're cases on resord In which
Il was shown that the lower lobe Of the brain
could be destroyed without affecting these volun-
tary movements. There ware several such cases.
We must therefore, look on one-h1ff OF tia brain
rs being sufficient to sustain voluntary movements
on both sides of tho body. An irritation In any
part of the brain may affect any part Of the body,
and an irritation in any part Of the body can pro-
ducs paralysis IN another part. The irritation
could also act upon remote parts This shows
that the power of will does not control the entire
action Of the body. When paralysis occurs it de-
ponds upon irritation.
The same reasoning applies to sensation There
were thousands Of cases affecting the brain that
did not affect the feeling. Passing these facts in
review we ind vast differences owing TO the fact
that one half Of the brain was developed FOR
certain things and the other halffer other things.
To the left side Of the brain belonged the faculty
OF expressing ourselves by speech. Articulation
depended in great measure upol the LEFT side Of
the brain. Difficulties In the mechanical point Of
speech were more frequently found when the left
side Of the brain was diseased. It was the mental
part that was lost, and not the mere mechanical
acticn. The len side Of the brain was also the
motive power Of gesture. When the left Iii' was
diseased patients lost the power Of gesti:q, .;Ign.
AS regards writing, Il S6s lost Inofe trsQueatly
IN diseases Of he lsl side Of the brain. The rIgat
arm was p5rslyied by diseases OF this -sils
Many TINS diseased could not write from mem
DRY, although they could use their fingers and
copy In those cases It sometimes occurs that
persons could not write at all.
Intelligence depends more upon the healthful-
ness OF the left side than OF the right side Of the
brain. The right side Of the brain In some cases
has the power Of the len. II properly developed
This serves to hysterIcal developments and to
nutrition Of the body. One, the leh, applies to
mental; the other, TO the natural life.
The right side Of the brain operates upon the
limbs in cases Of paralysis and other diseases;
also upon disturbances n the lungs, liver and
other parts. Hystericai and emotional symptoms
are more common in cases 81 disease OF the right
side Of the braia; ont Of 10 cases OF paralysis
that came undor the lecturers observation there
were es caused BY disease Of the right side. An
Alteration Of the retina OF the eye will more
frequently from diseases Of this side Of the BRAIN
Out Of 90 cases-of colTulsIons Of the eyes Il were
due to diseases Of the right side. Death occurs
much more frequently by disease Of the right side
AT the hIsip, and In case where pStielts do not
4aOs GaoE9 excessive ami enduring
paralysis.
All tails shows, not that the two sides Al me
brain differed originally, but that there were dlI
ferent developments OF each. Tho len side Of the
brain vas much larger Than the right SIDE, Il
person went frequently to the sane halter, he |
would ind that his Nat had from time 10 time TO |
brain grew. BY studying . particular subject |
Il -"-son became more Proficient, and the brain
IA MIRO fully 6sEslopss- aide Of the
There was no doubt that THO lai tS h. sn
n-ain predoninated in our system SU 80 s
Tight- handed showed it. There Ess no pVPu.a-
tIop IN the world that va: p2t rga.yaFnslssa, Tse
<igbt hand Of the body was mostly 6sea. Lsft-
handed individuals used the right side OF the
brsin. showing the connection between these
things. II - N
f6efe was primltlvely difference between the
two brains. In children COMMISSIONS were sooner
developed in the len than in the right side Of the
brain. This was attributable to excess OF olood
IN the Ieft side Parrots roasted on the right
legs, and their talking power came from the iefE
bde Of the head.
There were four vital points TO be considered
The first was that asphyxia was connected with
'khe left side OF the brain in persons that were
Fighthanded, and with the rgx side In those
that were Ief-handed. The second point was
that children who were first learning TO talk, n
disease came in the lef side Of the BRAIN learned
70 talk inst as we'll with the right side Of the
brain Though losing half Of the brain they got