The Lake Charles echo., 1878-06-27
MIND AND BRAIN.
The Latest Scientific Opinions Concerning "Ths
Dome Of Thought"

bOn'e ot tEought.
The views expressed at the Washington
convention of the physicians OF insane
asylums indicate somewhat the course OF
scientific opinion as to the functions OF
the brain. To the poets and to the pop
ular conception, the human skull will
long remain the dome Of thought, the
palace OF the mind" To the student OF
physiology, the seat of the, mental pro-
cesses has been gradually narrowing and
receding, till finally, DIR. Cla,k, of To
ronto, tells us that no satisfactory evi-
dence proves that mentality is localized
beyond focal part Of the nerves at the
base of the brain. We can better ap-
preciate how great is this change from
former views, if we compare with such q
conception the notions on which phre-
nology was based, when the various at
tributes of mind were supposed to
display tn mselves in the bumps" OF
the skull, and, consequently, to reside on
or near the circumference of the organ
within. If the new views are to be
accepted, much mole than phrenology
must be sacrificed. Brain power. the
new doctrine teaches, il not dependent
alone on the size OF the skulls conten s.
Probably, also, considerations of shape
will follow those OF size people with
high foreheads will gain no reputation
by their frontal expanses, and head as
low crowned as that of mound builder
will be credited with a full average
supply of intellect. #
It must be admitted that there are
seme facts hard TO explain under the old
doctrine. DIR. Brown-Sequ uard described
a few years ago large number OF cases
where people who had lost half or more
of their brains succeeded In keeping
quite as much sense US they had ever
posse sed. This was partially explained
on the theory that either half OF the
brain may perform the functions of the
whole. But other instances were related
whore the full mental capacity survived
partial loss of both hemispheres of the
brain. However, there was the cerebel-
lum, the little brain, TO fall back upon.
A great deal Of faith has been pinned to
the cerebellum by scientific folks who
have lost faith in their brains. But now
comes DIR. Walker Kemper. of Oshkosh,
with the post mortem examination Of a
patient who was interested In the news
of the day, copyersed intelligentiy On
politics, religion and science, and was
well versed in English literature, yet had
suffered from disease which had wasted
away one side of her cerebrum and the
other side of her cerebelIum, till neither
was one>fourth the natural size. Such
instances seem more conclusive than the
famous experiments on pigeons, In which
the birds NOT only survived the extirpa
tion OF their entire brains, but even re,
gained, apparently, their normal senses
and capacity after the lapse Of few
weeks.
II it can be conceded that the mental
faculties reside In the focus of the
nerves at the base of the brain, there will
be Less difficulty I'm obtaining correct
notions about the insect world. Few
insects have any brains, yet many o.
them, as for instance, Sir John Lub-
books ants, have sound, discriminating
intellects. In fact, certain savage ants
of South America hold tracts Of land,
and wage successful wsr on man when he
attempts TO plant residence ON their
domain. Big brains, in that case, are
powerless against no brains. What,
then, it msy BE- asked. is the use OF tine
organ in question, IL 1t does mot serve ~
the seat OF the miBdf DIR. BrewD.
6squsrd's answer was that tho brain,
Nike the hand, does the work Of the
mind, as It IL ordered, but Is the instru.
nsnt, not the meter That View of the
matter suggested at lesst one sen~ible
precept; II our brains are mere tools, we
should at all events keep them In good
order.