The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-11-11

THE HUMAN TELEGRAPH.
The Wonderful Telegrnphic system In the
Human SkuIi-Haw FadIy IL Works
when the Wires Are Down or Ont of
Repair.
Recent investigations into the intrica-
cies of the mind and brain have a realis-
tic or mechanical tendency. The brain
is treated like a vast and complicated
telegraph system in n populous COM
munity, with various centers of informa-
ton and intelligence, communicating
and intercommunicating their news and
wants, sending messages hither and
thither along the nerves, and having
their business done at the very extremi-
ties of the bodily continental the capes
Horn and Good Hope represented by the
feet, at the highly organized island ma
tions like England and Japan, to which
one may iken the hands and fingers.
But all this is SO mysterious and hidden
that its regular operations cannot be de-
tected.
1t is only when the telegraph wires
break down, or the Atlantic cable ceases
working, or the railroad tracks are
blocked with the snow, that we fully
realize the necessity all these inventions
are to our civilization. And so it s only
when some portions of the apparatus
called the brain is diseased that it is pos
sible to discover the relations of the parts
to one and another and to the whole.
Even then it is largely conjectural, and
the conclusions of some scientists are dis
puted by others; but still there has been
something discovered, and the observa-
tions in regard to the organism of that
part of the brain relating to speech have,
in consequence of paralysis or palsy,
been reasonably well determined.
Verbal memory, thought, and express
sion by speech or writing depend upon
the activity of what are called auditory
and visual word centers of perception;
that is, those central brain batteries, as
one may call them, where words, after
being heard or seen in print or writing,
are understood, and given off again in
speech and writing. Any breaking
down of the nervous telegraph
lines between these centers result in
peculiar disorders. Sometimes disease
lowers their activity; then there are de-
fects In speech or in the capacity to
write or to read At other times disease
may intensity the activity of the battery
and telegraph, and then there will be il
lusions, hallucinations and other mental
disorders peculiar to the insane.
Among the slight defects in this ap-
paratus, common to nearly all persons,
is a momentary forgetfulness of words OF
names, with power of recovery after a
time. But sometimes this defect is per-
manent and habitual, and the power to
recall names and words is entirely gone.
One person suffering from this loss Of
power, caused by paralysis, could not
when asked about his nightcap, tell what
it was. "And yet I know very well, he
said, "what it is, but can't recollect. >
When told that it was nightcap: ooh
yes; it is nightcap." The same thing,
with few exceptions, like his pipe, was
reported, when various articles were
shown him. He had worked all his life
with shovel and pickax, but could not
recall their names. When they were
told him, he would at once recognize the
words, but two minutes afterward he was
as helpless as before. -
AT LOSS FOR WORD.
Many persons in perfect health are
often at loss for word, but in the dis
eases of old age this is very common
although it frequently happens that thu
first letters of words are recollected.
farmer fifty years old had stroke of par
alysis, resulting in painful hesitation o
speech, which, however, was confined t.
nouns and proper names. He could
moreover, recollect the first letter o
every word he wanted to use, but coul,
not recollect the word itself So he mad
a list of words he was most in the habi
of using, and put them down on a piec
of paper in alphabetical form, including
the names of his family, his servants
and acquaintances. This he kept con
veniently in his pocket. If he wished
ask anything about COW, he would tur
to the letter G, and finding the wor
"cow" would keep his finger upon
until he had finished his sentence an
introduced the word. So long as he ha
his eyes fixed upon the written letters h
could pronouce the word "cow" at tn
proper place, but the moment he shu
up his book it passed out of his memor
and could not be recalled, although h
still recollected the initial and could &c
at the word by turning to his book. A
though he could not recollect his ow
name or those of his acquaintances, b
never was at a loss for the initial of th
word he wished to use.
UNABLE TO SPEAK
The telegraph communicating til
word from the ear or eye to the wore
center may be in working order, whe
the line between this word-center an
the organ or center of speech is ''down.
In this case persons are entirely able
comprehend what is said to them, bu
unless by some accident or event M
under their control, they cannot pr
their thoughts into speech.
Many years ago a French artille1
officer, who had suffered from q stroB
| of palsy, recovered the use of his hanG
and feet. He was able to speak distinct
words which he made no effort to speal
or which were slowly and loudly repeate
to him. But when he tried to speal
only an unintelligible murmer was hearc
He could read aloud from a book or p
, per without the slightest impedimen
but if the book or paper was taken ava,
he could not repeat single word of whi
he had 80 distinctly read a moment b,
fore. In this case 1t Is to be presume