Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-05-15
Nutrition Of the Brain.

DIR. J. Miner Fothergill of Londsn,
lin an interesting paper says: Bodily
conditions affect the nutrition of the
brain, or rather of the cerebral cells.
At one time all looks bright, cheerful
and encouraging; at another the same
prospect looks cheerless and tinted with
despair. This change depends upon
physical conditions, and a more pro-
nouneed physical state not only involves
the emotional centers but duplicates the
intellectual process. A slight amount of
bile in the blood, or an excess of renal
products, may depress man with hope
less despair. When the nutrition of the
brain is good we experience an agreeable
sense of well-being, which shows itself
in after-dinnerg enialty. When the nutri-
ton is imperfect, or the arterial blood of
abnormal composition, the consequences
are mixture of irritability and bad
temper. The effect of several NOR
bid states is to stimulate the blood into
greater activity. There are two distinct
physical conditions under which the
intellect seems to possess a power e1-
ceeding its normal standard. These are:
The initial or pretubercular stage of
pulmonary phthisis; and the condition of
chronic gout. To what causes these
conditions are due it is very difficult to
say. AS to the intellectual power of the
gouty, it may be accounted for by the
blood being highly charged with nitro
genized matter. Bichat observes that
the length of the neck exercises an in
fiuence, over the mental activity of the
individual. Persons with short necks
have better-sustained power of work
than those with long ones. Rickety
children have generally large heads, and
possess quick perceptive faculties; and
it is well-known fact that hunchbacked
individuals are remarkable for vivacity
of spirit. Brain tissues can be developed
by exercise and worn out by over-work,
and in all over-tired brains there is much
irritability and tendency to temper. Ii
diseases of the lungs the condition Of
depression is rarely present, and wher
50 present is possibly due to some alb
dominal complication. Hope seems tc
rise above the intelligence just as ir
certain abdominal diseases thereis depres
sion which defies it's corrections. Allied
in essence to- melancholia is the panpho
bia or low spirits common to womer
generally. Tt is the cry Of a suffering
brain for more liberal supply of arteria
blood. We DO not, perhaps, consider
how much our physical attitude, ever
to religious, the highest of all thought
is based on conditions of the body, tina
body which theologians of the old schoo
denominated vile. Hysterieal attacks
are generally explosive discharges from
the emotional centars, as epilepsy is o
the motor, OF mania transitora is of th'
volitional centers. Much mental instabil
ity is found among chronic sufferer
from heart disease. Their mental atti
tude is generally one of caprice, un
sustained volition, srlspiciousness ant
groundless fear. Victims of cancer pre-
sent sullen and defiant submission t.
the inevitable. The mental attitude o
py@mia (alteration of the blood by pus
is that of absolute indifference. In dia
betes mellitus there is also condition
of mental languor. Those who are wan
ing into dotage regard their relations
who attempt to contradict or contro
them, with dislike and suspicion. TIL
brain becoming less and less functionall,
capable, is more and more unequal Il
the correction of ill-founded or unius
dislike. .5