The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-30


DR.. Dupuy, Of London, lectured on
Thursday evening at Cooper Institute,
New York, upon "The Recent Advances
in the Psychology Of the Brain and Nerv.
Gus System" Prof. +. l.. Youmans In.
troduced the lecturer, who spoke for an
hour, illustrating his subject FROM time
to time by means Of the blackboard. The
following is a synopsis Of the lectures
The nervous system is not an immater.
iAl thing. on the contrary, II is u living,
tangible subject for study and experiment,
Nerves are composed Of two classes OF
structures-Cells and fbers. Cells are
found in the gray matter Of the nervous
centers, and also in some Of the cranial
nerves. These Gbers and cells may be
distinguished by the microscopes. As
the fiber leaves the cell Il is coated with a
substance which insulates it, and this
coating is nothing more than system OF
cells or bags. Nerves are divided into
two classes, those OF common and Of
special sensatisn. Nerves are also di.
yided for those in sight, hearing, smell.
ing, motion, &c. In addition there are
the nerves which animate the blood yes.
sells, making them expand or relax, thus
regulating the blood supply. The real
nature Of the substance carried by the
nerves has not yet been discovered.
Some have argued that il is electricity,
but this has been disprovcd by expert.
ments which show that ii has not the
same nature. Electricity will travel
over wire which has been broken, pro.
vided the ends Of the wire are Joined, but
il nerve fiber has been broken, no com.
munication takes place through il. An
other proof that il is not allied to elec.
tricity is the difference in thespeed Of the
two forces. Nerve force travels at the
rate Of only 800 feet per second, while
electricity has u much greater speed.
Then, too, the effect upon the nerve Is not
instantly removed az soon US the force
ceases to act. This is illustrated by the
manner in which the effects Of strong
light are felt for some time after flash
OF Lightning has passed away.
Reflex action ia an important part
which the nerves play in their control Of
the body. II ia stronger than the will.
A man once undertook to oswallow poison,
but reflex action caused him TO throw il
up before il reached the stomach. The
poison burned the. msophagus so badly
that for some time after, no matter how
much he wished to do 80, he could not
swallow food, reflex action being stronger
than his will. An entrance was made
into his stomach and food introduced,
and every time this was done saliva col.
lected in his mouth, exactly as il he were
swallowing food. The same principle is
shown in one endeavoring To hold his
breath. lie may succeed III doing 30 for
few seconds, and even until the heart
has apparently ceased to beat. Mean
while the blood has become charged with
carboniC acid gas from lack OF oxygen.
This causes the nerves to exert their pow
er suddenly, as the gas is deadly poison
TO them, and the person is forced to
breathe against his will by their violent
action. The ability to recall past sensa.
tions and scenes is due to the principle
that when an impression is made upon Il
nerve.cell something is retained which is
latent, exactly as heat is latent in iron or
stone. When n man dreams he draws
upon this supply.