The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-01-30
THE FIFTH PAIR OF NERVES.
How the Brain Is Stimulated and Thought
Quickened by Merely Habitual Acts.

1
QuiclSened by Merely Habitual Acts.
[Dr. Brunton, in the Contemporary Reviewl
There are two nerves, known as the
fifth pair, which are distributed to the
skin of the head and to the mucus mem
brane of the eyes, nose and mouth
| These vessels are closely connected with
the heart and vessels, and, by stimulat
ing their branches, the circulation may
be greatly influenced, as in the case of
fainting. It is a curious fact that peo-
pie of all nations are accustomed, when
in any difficulty, to stimulate one or an
other branch of the fifth nerve, and
quicken their mental processes. Thus
some persons, when puzzled, scratch
their heads, others rub their foreheads,
others stroke or pull their boards, thus
stimulating the occipital, frontal or
mental branches of those nerves. Many
Germans, when thinking, have habit
of striking their fingers against their
noses and thus stimulating the nasal
cutaneous branches, while in this coun-
try some people stimulate the branches
distributed to the mucous membrane Of
the nose by taking snuff The late Lord
Derby, when translating Homer" was
accustomed to eat branded cherries
One man will eat figs while composing
leading article; another will suck
chocolate creams; others will smoke
cigarettes, and others sip brandy and
water. By these means they stimulate
the hngual and buceal branches of the
nerves, and thus refexly excite their
brains. Alcohol appears to excite the
circulation through the brain refexlv
from the mouth, and to stimulate the
heart refexly from the stomach, even
before it is absorbed into the blood
Shortly after it has been swallowed
however, it is absorbed from the stom-
ach, and passed with the blood to the
heart, to the brain, and to other parts of
the nervous system, upon which it then
begins to act directly. Under it's in
fuence the heart beats more quickly,
the blood circulates more freely; and
thus the functional power of the vari-
Gus organs IN the body is increased, so
that the brain may think more rapidly,
the muscles act more powerfully, and
the stomach digest more easily; but,
with this exception, the effect of alcohol
on the system may be described as one
of progressive paralysis. The higher
centers suffer first, and the Judgment is
probably the first quality to be i'm
paired. One of the most esteemed nov
eists Of the present day informs me
that, although he can take great deal
of wine without it's having any apparent
effect on him, yet single glass Of sherry
is enough to take the fine edge off his
intellect. He is able to write easily and
fuently in the evening after taking din
ner and drinking wine, but what he
then writes will not bear his own criti
cism next morning, although, curiously
enough, it may seem to him excellent at
the time of writing. AS the effect of
alcohol progresses judgment becomes
still further impaired, although the 9TH
er faculties of the mind may remain not
only undiminished by the direct action
of alcohol upon the brain, but greatly
increased by the general excitement of
the circulation. The imagination may
thus be more vivid than usual, and the
emotions more lively, and both, being
more or less liberated from the control
of the Judgment, manifest themselves in
sparkling wit or whitening invective.
Sheridan is said to have delivered his
greatest speech under the influence of
two bottles of champagne, which he hal
swallowed at single draught; and in
persons of over cautious temperament
and too-reserved manners the removal
of the restraint under which they ha-
bitually act renders them, for the time,
more sociable and agreeable. By-and
by, however, the other parts of the nerv
Gus system are successfully weakened,
the tongue stammers, the vision be-
comes double, the legs fail, and the man
falls insensible. It is evident, then,
that only the first stages of alcoholic ac
ton are at all beneficial, the latter stages
being as clearly injurious.