The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-09-13
SOME THINGS ABOUT MEMORY

The Doctors Theories--4 Pullman Passen
gers Philosophical Remarks or the San,
Subject.
DR.. R. Wood Brown has late advanc
ed the following theory about memory
When an impression is received upon tn,
retina, tympanum, tongue, fingers o.
olfactory bulbs, it is conveyed by proper
nerve filaments to cells in the gray mat
ter of the brain. These cells vibratt
from excitation and undergo change
say that of molecular arrangement. L
this impression is repeated often enough
the molecules are permanently changed
and we have memory cells and remem
Der the impression. But repeated i'm.
pressions are not always necessary to
produce a memory cell. A sudden, vio-
lent excitation will cause permanent
change in cell.
DR.. Allen Starr, in the Popular Science
Monthly, says:
| If now, we take models of four brains,
and on the first mark out the location
OF the various areas connected with the
various sensory organs, as determined
by the anatomical connection of the
white nerve-threads; on the second mark
out the location of the various areas
which Psychologists have shown to gov
ern various sensory organs; on the third
mark out the various areas whose dis
ease produces disturbance of action in
the various sensory organs, and loss of
memories of perceptions by those or
gans; and on the fourth mark out the
various areas which wither after disease
of the various sensory organs-we shall
find that upon all four brains the areas
belonging to any one organ coincide.
We may therefore conclude that each
class of sensations and each class of
memories has its own definite area of
the gray matter on the surface of the
brain. Memories of objects seen are To-
Gated in the posterior part in the occipi-
tai region. Memories of sound heard
are located in the lower lateral part in
the temporal region. Memories of mo-
tons in the limbs and of touch in those
limbs are located side by side in the CEN
trail lateral regions. Memories of speech
are located in the frontal region. 1t is,
therefore, a mistake to speak of memory
as single faculty of the mind. 1t is
really an assemblage of distinct memo
ries which we possess, each kind of
memory being as different from the 9TH
ers, but in its nature and in its location,
as are the different organs of sense
through which the original perception
came.
The Chicago Herald ''Train Talker'
alleges to have heard this on Pullman
sleeper:
'It's wonderful what practice will do
for man. Now, l have observed pc
culiar thing on sleeping cars, which
goes to show how even common mind
may be trained to perform almost in
credible feats of memory and precision.
On this car there are at least twenty
gentlemen. While we are asleep the
dump 'em on pile in the gents wash
room, where he will polish them when
he gets time. There will be shoes that |
look just alike, and many of the same |
size, but in the morning every man of us
will find his own shoes and nobody else's |
DenGath his berth. Now, we all consider
ourselves superior to that colored porter,
out | venture to say that none of us
could do a thing like that. It's a won
lerful example of what training will do
or the memory.
Next morning, sure enough, every
mans shoes were in their proper place,
md the gentleman again called atten-
ion to what he considered so remark
lble.
"Here, porter he exclaimed, Slip
'ing the grinning functionary a dollar
tote to loosen his tongue, ''tell us how
ou do it?''
Eyes, sah," says the porter; ''it's jus
S easy when you get 'customed to it.
Takes a pow'ful sight O. practice,
hough."
That's what told you," remarked
he gentleman to his companion, tri-
Eyes, sab, it takes pow'ful sight O.
ractice. 1t wah two hull weeks afo' /
ould learn to chalk the numbahs of de
erfs on de soles of shoes without max
4 mistakes. Thank We, boss"