Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-09

Of Its Essential Features.
To-day / have been watching my
two cats-the black Professor" and
his maternal ancester-playing in the
Despite the lady's age,
1he retains much of the spirit of her
youth. and does not object to a romp
with her good-natured son. Now and
then feline temper will exhibit itself
in a snarl which invariably comes
from the side of the mother cat, and
then professor scuttles off with the
dexterity that is born of sheer alarm
of claws and teeth as means of ma
ternal revenge. Like two weary FEM
GERS, the cats have been thrusting and
at one another this morning.
Facing one another. they have stood
like feline statues. immovable and in
sfatue-like repose. Yet every nerve
was on the strain. The one watches
the other. eager to anticipate attack
or retreat; and. on the slightest move
,ment, the battle royal was begun
anew. It is this alacrity of nerve to
respond to the stimulation of outward
things which is exercising my mind
to-day. Whether in cat or in man. in
worm or in mollusk. the way of the
nerves seems to be identical.
Underlying all the varied phases of
nervous action. we find one great and
guiding principle. for the first eluci-
'dation of which we are indebted to
the genius of the late DIR. Marshall
Hall. The principle is known as that
of reflex action, and one or two sim
pie illustrations will familiarize us
with its nature and mOdus operandi.
! am crossing the street, and hear the
sharp trot Of a cab-horse just behind
me. Anxious to avoid accidents, l
quicken my steps and reach the oppo-
site pavement in safety. What has
been the nature and operation of the
nervous mechanism in this case?
Waves of sound from the cabs motion
first of all were received by the drum
of the ear, were transmitted to the
inner ear, were modified and assorted.
so as to reach the brain as "sensa-
tions" of sound, and were finally re-
ceived and dealt with by that part of
the brain set apart for the control of
the hearing sense. Thereupon, con.
seriousness of danger to my per-
sonality was awOke. probably be-
cause the hearing part of the
brain communicated with the intel
lectual centers. At any rate. the re.
suit of sound-waves striking my ear
was the awakening of my mind to the
risk ran in crossing the street. Now,
this first piece of nervous play only
goes SO far as to include the convey.
ance to the brain of a message Coz
''sensation') from the outer world. II
is clear that, in order to escape dan
like an intelligent policemen, upon
information received" Accordingly
the sensation of sound sooner or later
is reflected" from the brain centers
to other parts of the body-namely
the muscles. The latter organs are
stimulated to greater activity, and
am speedily landed on the opposite
pavement out of the way of the cab
Notice, then. that this illustration
presents US with plain, unvarnishei
story of that "refex action" which
underlies all our nervous operations
and which, therefore, forms the foun
dation of all the acts of our own lives
OF those OF my cats, and. indeed. regu
lates the acts of all animals
When you draw back your head t.
avert a threatened blow. or when your
eyelids close as some one in play
passes his hand rapidly before your
eyes, it is reflex action you again il
lustrate in your movements. The ey.
receives, and its nerve transmits, {
sensation" of sight to the seeing
center of the brain. Thence is ere
dected" q nervous command to the
muscles of the neck, or of the eye
lids alone, as the case may be
When my cats are rOmping here and
there. each movement whereby PRO
fessor" escapes his mothers attack Il
carried out by . similar reflex actor
of his nervous system. When yol
touch the feelers on q snail's head and
zee them fold up in the marselou'
fashion they exhibit. and whom hnall,
that mollusk retires into the privac,