The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-11-26


Recent Investigations into the intrica-
cies 81 the mind and brain have realis-
tic 81 mechanical tendency. The brain
IS treated like vast and complicated
telegraph system i'll 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 tile 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 liken 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
nre to our civilization. And so it is 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 obserya-
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 menta.
disorders peculiar to the insane.
Among the slight defects in this ap
paratus, common to nearly all persons
is a momentary forgetfulness Of words o.
names, with power of recovery after
Tune. But sometimes this defect is per
manent and habitual, and the power t,
recall names and words is entirely gone
one person suffering from this loss O
power, caused by paralysis, could not
when asked about his nightcap, tell wha
II was. ''And yet [ know very well, 2 h
said, what it is, but l can't recollect.
When told that it was nightcap: "Oh
yes; it is nightcap." The same thing
with few exceptions, like his pipe, wa
reported, when various articles wer
shown him. He had worked oil his lif
with shovel and pickax, but could nc
recall their names. When they wer
told him, he would at once recognize Il
words, but two minutes afterward he VI
as helpless as before.
AT A LOSS FOR WORD.
Many persons in perfect health a
often at loss for word, but in the d
eases of old age this is very commo
although it frequently happens that t
lrst letters of words are recollected.
farmer fifty years old had a stroke OF pi
alysis, resulting in painful hesitation
speech, which, however, was confined
nouns and proper names. He cou
moreover, recollect the first letter
every word he wanted to use, but col
not recollect the word itself. So he ms
a list of words he was most in the ha
OF using, and put them down on pi
o. paper in alphabetical form, includi
the names Of his family, his serval
and acquaintance. This he kept c
veniently in his pocket. II he wished
ASK anything about COW, he would tt
70 the letter @, and finding the W
Cow" would keep his finger upol
until he had finished his sentence
introduced the word. So long as he
nus eyes fixed upon the written letterI
could pronoure the word 'scow" at
proper place, but the moment he s
up his bnolr ~ ,,occa1 ,..,f .,f l.sa n, an,