The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-06-04
Some Facts About Brains.


|
DR.. W. A. Hammond, having been
re- elected to the presidency of thetNeu-
rological society, chose, as the subject
of his inaugural address, 1.-THE Brain
not the Sole Organ of Mind" As a
compilation of instructive facts, this
paper merits special attention, while the
conclusions reached, though not without
precedent, are yet deserving of renewed
| attention, for which reasons we are in
| duced to present the following con-
densed review of these facts and views /:
| While there is no evidence to prove
that the mind can exist independently
of the nervous system, every fact in our
possession bearing upon the question of
their relation goes to prove that, where
| there is injury or arrangement of the
nervous system, there is corresponding
| injury or arrangement of the mind.
Accepting this intimacy of relationship
as conclusively established, DR.. Ham
mOnd briefly defines the constitution of
the nervous system as follows "The
nervous system consists of two essen
TALLY different tissues, which are dis
tributed in varying proportions through
out the organism. The one of these,
the ganglIOnic, or gray tissue, is col
lected in masses in the brain, the spinal
cord, and in the course of the ramifica-
tions of the great sympathetic nerve.
The other, the white tissue, exists in
much larger proportion, and is also
found in the brain and spinal cord, of
which it constitutes the larger quantity.
Examined microscopically, the gray
matter is found to be composed of cells,
while the white matter consists of tibres.
As regards function, the difference is
still greater, for the gray matter is the
generator of nerve force, while the
white simply serves as the medium by
which the force is transmitted. As
the brain is by far the largest mass of
nerve substance contained in the body
of any animal possessing brain, atten-
tion is first directed to certain general
facts regarding the relative size and
weight of the brains in various races Of
men and in the lower animals. The
average weight of the brain of the
white inhabitants of Europe is forty
nine and one-half ounces, the maximum
being that of the brain Of Cuvier,
which weighed sixty-four and one third
ounces, and the minimum, consistent
with fair degree of Intelligence, thirty
four ounces. The average Of twenty
four American brains, accurately weighed
by DR.. Ira Russell, was fifsy-two and
six hundredths ounces, while that from
one hundred and forty seven full negro
brains was only forty SIX and ninety six
hundredths ounces. farming from the
weight of the brain to the capacity of
the Uranium, we find that this capacity
in the Teurbnic family, including Eng'
lish, Germans, and Americans, is ninety
two cubic inches. The largest recorded
capacity of the Uranium is that of Web
ster, one hundred and twenty. two square
inches. Owing to disease, however,
Webster's brain weighed but sixty-three
and three-quarter ounces, thus placing
him second only to Cuvier. In the
native African negro, this capacity IS
reduced to eighty-three cubic inches,
and in the Australian and HottentOt to
seventy-fve. The brain of an idiot sell
dom exceeds twenty three ounces in
weight, while in one instance coming
under the speakers own observation,
the mature brain weighed but fourteen
and one half ounces. After noticing a
few exceptional cases of diminutive
brains, DIR. Hammond proceeded to the
consideration of the brains of animals,
and the facts elected are of interest
and value, both in themselves and as
bearing upon the subsequent discussion.
Seuret found the mean proportional
weight of the brain to the rest of the
body to be in fishes as one to five thou
sand six hundred and sixty eight. 1t
should, however, be noticed that the
range in this order is very great, reach
ing from the bass, where the proportion |
stands as one to five hundred and |
twenty three, to the goldfish, where it
is as one to eight thousand nine hundred |
and nineteen; these latter observations |
having been made by the lecturer him
self. Passing from fishes to reptiles,
we find this average decreased, so that
it is represented by one to thirt zen !
hundred and twenty-one. Here, also, |
are to be found wide differences, the |
proportion in lizards being as one to
one hundred and eighty, while the |
brain of an alligator, examined by the
speaker, weighed only little over half
an ounce.