The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-12
BRAINS AND ANTS.
The Habits Of the Busy Ant-Their Social Re.
latfOns.


Mr.. Charles Dudley Warner writes
from Munich to The Hartford Courant:
The student of comparative anatomy
may find in Munich rare facilities for
his pursuit, and he can enjoy advan-
tages for studying the human brain
which exist nowhere else in the world.
Perhaps you, who are busy anatomi-
zing veteran politicians Gnstead of
looking for a fresh subject) in order to
secure, not the best specimen, but the
most eligible one for the first president
of our second centennial, will not care
to hear about any other scientific ex-
periments; but some of the readers of
The Courant may be interested in an
unscientific word or two about what l
saw the other day at the institution
for the insane.
The director, Herr Prof. Bernhard
Guddin, invented some years ago a
method of infinitely examining the
brain, which I believe is new, and a
machine for facilitating the operation
which is original. By means Of his
process the structure of the brain is
studied at leisure and more Thoroughly
than it has ever been before.
The process is this: When the brain
is taken from the head entire, it is
submitted to treatment which hard
ems it. This is accomplished by soak
ing it in a solution of bichromate of
potash. 1t requires two years to give
the brain of man the requisite solid
ity; the smaller brain of an inferior
animal will harden in three months.
The mass is then imbedded in wax and
fitted into a circular basin having a
screw underneath by which the brain
can be raised or lowered. The screw
is turned so as to bring the substance
just above the rim of the basin, and a
long razor-like knife, resting upon the
rim, is drawn over it, slicing off a
pairing from the brain, thin Or thick,
as the anatomist wishes. The oper-
alton is repeated until the brain
sliced, let us say, vertically, from the
front to the back-is separated into
a series of thin plates or laming.
These laminB are then put up in Vene-
tian varnish, between glass, labeled
and numbered in the order they are
cut off, and they are ready for exam
ination under the microscope. The
substance first, however, is a little
tinged with vermillion, in order to
render the translucent, thin laminB
visible. The color, however, does not
at all obliterate the distinction be-
tween the gray and the white SUBJ
stance Of the brain.
In the room where I saw this process
were brains in all the stages, brains Of
men, of dogs, oxen, rabbits, doves, etc,
Jars full of them, like some new and
unpleasant sort of pickle. And about
the room were cases with shelves and
boxes filled with brains, sliced, dried,
and put away for examination. Stand
ing together in one corner were over 4
dozen boxes, a foot and half long and
six inches square, fitted with slides
and filled with the glass containing the
laminB. ..,~.~.
"How many brains,'' l asked, care
contained in these boxes.''
"Oh, replied the professor, sson1y
one, only the brain Of one man; but it
has been sliced into seven hundred
plates. But we cut the brains of ami
mails thinner. There in that case, is
the brain of a dog; it is in eleven hun
dred plates.''
You will understand by this facility
a student would have for examining
the structure of the brain. Beginning
at the front, let us say, we can trace,
with perfect certainty back to the base
of the brain and the spinal column
every nerve, every tissue, every minut-
est fibre. He can not only learn the
origin of all, the growth of diminution
of all, but the direction of each. With
out necessity of enlarging upon it, you
will see how completely this process
lays the brain open to study land study
that may be pursued months and years
on the same brain. OF course, brains
are sliced in any direction, longitude
nally as well as transversely, and hori-
zontally as we'll as vertically. These
admirable preparations have been, as
yet, very little studied, but they will
no doubt yield valuable results.
There is, as said, also here an ex-
cellent opportunity for the study of
the comparative anatomy of the brains
OF animals. DR.. Guddin and his assist
ant. Prof. Forrel, have prosecuted a
series, of most interesting experiments
upon animals-the results of which
can only hint at in this letter results
which show the relations of the differ
ent parts of the brain to each other,
to the nerves of motion, and of sensa-
ton, and the connection between por-
lions of the brain and the manifesta-
lions of intelligence.
The experiments upon animals con-
sist in removing the whole or part of
the brain from the living creature
when it is in extreme youth, and then
observing the result in matu ity.
Take, for instance, dog. A portion
of the puppy brain is cut out. He is