Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-15
Reaex Speech.


 Acts performed at first with great effort by constant repetition become so thoroughly ingrained in the nervous system that they are performed without the slightest effort, or even may be performed in spite of 8 more or less strong effort to resist them. When this occurs an originally voluntary act is said to have lapsed into the automatic or reflex stage; the act has become mechanical; and pressing the proper key will produce the ap- proximate reaction. In recent issue of the Journal of Mental Science Dr. G. NJ. Robert son calls attention to the fact that there exist large number of colloquial phrases that have become automatic. Speech, though a first learned with great difficulty, becomes the most natural channel for expressive movements. We are daily asked "How well, thank you" And the best proof of how very automatic and unrefective this an- swer is is given by the innumerable cases in which this is said even when we are not well. This is present in @ perfectly healthy mind, but it remains obscured. When we are eXci ted or confused, or better still, absent~mind- ed, the phenomenon becomes more promi- nent. Ask an bsent-minded friend, "How are the family to-day?' or s'How is your brother Toms" and he tells you 'They are well, thanks" and immediately adds, t'What have been saying? Why, my father is laid up with gout," or "Tom had broken his arm."
 All redexss are controlled in health, but appear in exaggerated forms in disease. This speech reflex becomes very marked in dementia, where there is 8 gradual break down of the mental structure, and, as is the universal law, the highest. least stable pro- ducts are the first to decay. The power of s-k k~TJs onI ,1 duced, but the more deeply acquired habit of automatic responses is retained. One such demented patient showed practically no in- telligence; he never even asked for food or drink. He underwent severe surgical ope- ration without saying word, but his reflex speech was preserved Her Here are samples of of ordinar', thank ye" ''How are you feeling to-daya" 'oh, pretty weel. thank ye." "How's all with yeuF' sIm doin' pretty wesl." "You're not so well to-daya" 1T don't think I am." "How's the wife this merningw ''Oh, she's very weel I'm think. "Yes, I'll do that" Intelligent though these answers seem, they were not so; for he was all the while suffering from serious illness; he knew nothing about his wife, and though he promised to keep his hands away, he did not do so.
 Another patient named Ross, though chat- C6ElQS 6li OhH, uuo EcAIly uO AAScAASoAb speech Within minute he would say such incoherent nonsense as, eff you would just come be! Oh, dear, deari Oh! that is the whole clash That's what, Oh, dear, dear mel" and so on. The only phrase with meaning here was "dear me!'-a reflex phrase. But in such simple talk as the fol- lowing Ross could take 8 part: "We1, Rossaa "Weel, sir.'' "How are you" "very we'll, sir" ssIt's a fine day, Ross" "It is that" s'Rosss" "I hear, sir" "You're not we'll to-dayg" "Oh. I don't know" "Good-by, Rossl" "Good-by, sirl" The attendant could not get a sensible word out of him, and was much surprised to hear how we'll the patient could talk to Dr. Rob- ertson, neglecting to notice that the latter was careful to ask for reflex phrases.
 In some cases the answers will not be ap- propriate to the query. "Its a rainy day" will be answered by, "No, I'll not do it." "What day is thisa" by "Ohi but that is not right;" and So on. From his study Dr. Rob- eftson concludes CD that actions seemingly intelligent may be mainly automatic or re- hex; @ that in speech we have present all the causes leading to reflex action; (S) that in health such speech-refexes are exhibited, but under special circumstances they come into prominence; (4) that in some forms of mental disease this reflex is exaggerated; and (5 that the path of reflex speech is we'll or- ganized and strongly resists destruction.