New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-21
AIJTONATISM.

Dr.. II. @. Wood in Lippinooh
We not left to the unaided study of onr men
tai processes for proof that the human brain is
mechanism. In the laboratory oil Professor o9it1'
in Strasbure saw terrier from when ne hau re- Co
the brain thereby reducing the animal 10 n simple
automaton. Locked at while lying IN ms stall' ne
seemed al first III no wise diliercnt fon o,hei uoes
he took food when offered to him. was tat. sleek.
and very quiet. When approached him he took
no notice OF me, but when the assistant caught him
y tho tail he instantly sr rs maven to
recognize the point OF assault so that his Keeper,
standing behind him, was not in danger; WITH
flashing eyes and hair all erect the dog howled and
barked furiously. necessarily swapping and biting.
first this side and then on that. tearing with his
toreleps and in every way manIiesting rage. When
his tail was dropped by the attendant aud his head
touched. the storm Mt once subsidized, the fnry was
turned into calm, and tho animal, few seconds be-
fore so ragcful was purrng like cat and stretch
ING out its head for careSses This curious process
could be repeated indefinitely. Take hold OF his
tail and instantly the storm broke out airesh pat
his head and all tenderness. II was possible TO
play at will with the passions of the animal by the
slightest touches. a.
During the Frsnco-German contest Fronch
soldier WAS struck in the head with bullet anu
left on the field for dead. but subsequently showed
sufficient life to cause him TO be carried TO the hos
pital where he finally recovered his general health
but remained in mental state very similar TO that
of Professor Goltz's dog. As he walked about the
rooms and corridors of the soldiers home in Paris,
he appeared 10 the stranger like an ordinary man.
unless it were in his apathetic manner. When nus
comrades called to the dinner table nc io-
lowed, sat down with them. and, the food being
placed upon his plate and Il knife and fork III blS
hands would commence to eat. That this was not
done in obedience to thought or knowledge was
shown by the fact that his dinner could bo at once
INTERRUPTED by awakening rev train of feeling ny
a new external impulse. Pat crooked stick re
seinbling "a gun into his hand and at once tbs man
was seized with n rage comparable TO that pro
duccd in the Strasburg dog by taking hold Oh his
tail. The fury of conflict WAS on hun: with q
loud veil he would recOInmcnce the sElimiSh IN
which he had boon wounded and, crying 10 ms
conn AIDES, would make rush NJ the supposed 2s-
sajlant Tako the stick out of his hand ant At
once his apathy would settle upon him give HIM
knife and fork, and. whether at the table or else
where be would make the motions OF eating; hand
him a spade and he would begin to dig. Ii Is
PLAN that the impulse produced by seeing his COM
Tades move TO the dinIng-roJm started the CHAIN OF
automatic movements which resulted IN hiS seating
himself nj the table The weapon called INTO new
lit. the well-knOwn acts of tn battlefield. The
suade brought back the day when. innocent OF
blood he cultivated the vinegar Is OF sunny
France. -,
In both the dog and the man Just SPOKEN of the
control of the VIII over the emotions and mental
acts vas evidently lost and the mental functions
were nprformed only in Ole iIencc to impulses from
vithout--ic were automatic The human brain
is a complex and very delicate mechanism 80 uni
form IN It's actions. marvellous III ITS creation
that il is able 10 measure the rapldlty of Its own
processes There are scarcely two bTalDs when
work exactly with the same rapidity aud ease. One
man thinks faster than another man Tor reasons rs
uur.ly physical as those which give to ono man
faster gait than that of another.