The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-28
HOW TO CARE FOR THE BRAIN.
The Lecture by Dr. w. B. Fletcher to the
School Children Yesterday Afternoon.

The Lecture by DR.. W. B. Fletcher to the
School Children Yesterday Afternoon.
DR.. w. B. Fletcher, superintendent Of the In
sane Hospital, delivered the second of the penny
lectures to the school children at Fletcher-place
Church yesterday afternoon, his subject being,
'sThe Brain and How to Care for It." The lect-
ure was illustrated throughout by blackboard
drawings and casts made by the Doctor. He
said that although the brain proper oc-
cupies the head it might also be con
sidered as extending down the spinal col
umn in one continuous strip through
the vertebr@ and all through the body, making
what ia called the nervous system. 1t runs
through all the muscles in little prolongations
called nerves. You commence with the smallest
nerve fibre at the very end Of the little toe and
follow it up. At the knee it has combined with
othes fbres, and at the hip with still more, and
spinal column and then enters the brain. This
little fibre examined with the naked eye looks
about Ike very small string. Examine it with
a microscope and it is found TO be divided into
many parts, so small that hair divided
five hundred times is hardly so small.
First is thin covering on the outside, then
little white, fat piece running through the CEN
ter; this volute string is the nerve, and the
other only q covering for protection. Several
of these fbers together. as when they enter the
spinal column are called bundle For econ
omy Of space, as these bundles run to the brain
they are packed. and twisted, and laid in folds,
like rose when in the bud. Besides these lit
tie white fbers there must be something else,
for the fbers by themselves could do
nothing-could have no action-they are
simply mere conducting agents, as tele-,
phone wires. "If you have ever seen the
brains Of calf at the butcher-shop," he said,
you ssw that one part was white and the rest
gray The gray or dark parts are the nerve-cells,
and the cells perform the same functions as a
battery OF telephone Some of these cells, ex-
amined closely, have little prongs sticking out
all over them, until they considerably resemble a
cookie burr. These prongs are where the little
nerve-fbers, or, as they might be called. wires.
enter the battery. The batteries are connected
by different wires. and so the whole acts as the
telephone. The slightest touch, even on the foot,
is conveyed by the nerve-fiber to the brain,
and another one going from the cell to the eye
gives the animal to look. So, instantly sem
sation has been created and motion. The
lowest class of animals have very few Of these
cells and nerves. Articulate animals have
more. All animals Of the higher class are two
sided, and have two brains, one for each side.
These are not always the same size. AS the
nerves get to the brain they cross over, so that
the body ego to the left brain
and vice versa OF one hundred and fifty per-
sons examined, in three-fourths Of them the
left brain was the larger, so they were right
handed The degree of intelligence of animals
is marked by the size of their brains. A small
terrier dog has brain about the size of an egg.
while an alligator Of the largest size has brain
but little larger than thimble, and an extreme
ly small spinal cord. A horse has brain
about the size of a closed fist A
80 H. n1I krtA hw~T - tnw<p
The smaller the brain the larger the
face, and the more elongated. The face of the
alligator is at an accute angle and nearly hori-
zontal, with the brain in the very back of the
skull The horse is less so, then the dog and
monkey, and their brains correspondingly larger
and further front. The higher the animal the
smaller the face and the further front the brain.
1t docs not always follow that the larger the
brain the more knowledge you may possess, or
the more you can do. The human brain usually
weighs from forty to fifty-two ounces, and is
some larger in men than women. The finer the
convolutions the more active the cells. Size is
not all 20 be considered A boy of sixteen gen.
orally wears the same sized hat as when he gets
to be twenty-five The trouble is that the brain
is used too much while you forget the rest of the
body. Instead of going to play ball or do some
thing to exercise the body and rest the brain
when tired. you too often get exciting book
and read. Mental activity Is not bodily activity
and does not send the blood to the brain that it
should have to keep il healthy.
II wish to call special attention" the Doctor
said, ito injurious results likely to occur from
blows upon the head. A blow that does not
hurt the outside may sometimes injure the in
side greatly Your skull. especially in earlier
years, is very flexible, while the brain Within is
in some persons, as brittle as window glass. It
is possible for q blow to be struck that will
cause q person to 60 crazy without hurting
the outside Blows on the ear may cause rupture OF
the drum and permanent deafness and disease of
the nerves. and even disease of the brain. The
Importance of the proper circulation of the blood
to the brain is incalcuable. 1t may be compared
TO q system Of irrigation that waters all the
plants. If each plant does not get the proper
amount of nourishment it dies or is
diseased, and so it is with the
brain. The action of alcohol on the brain
is to force more than the required amount of
blood to each cell. and so enlarge them. Exer
else will stimulate you, and you feel better for
it. If you take alcohol. it stimulates for the
time. but also enlarges and weakens the cells of
the brain, until some time one breaks and the
person dies of apoplexy"