Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-05-09
!" REFLEX ACTION"
Curious Power of the Nerves Over
the Muscles.
The Wonderfully Delicate System of Te-
lcgraphy Found Existing in All Ami
NAL Bodies-Simple Explanation
of Its Essential Features.

To-day | have been watching my
two cats-the black Professor" and
his maternal ancester-playing in the
dining-room. Despite the lady's age,
she retains much of the spirit of her
youth, and does not object to romp
with her good-natured son. Now and
then feline temper will exhibit itself
in 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
parrying at one another this morning.
Facing one another, they have stood
like feline statues, immovable and in
statue-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. 1t 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 tho
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 DR.. Marshall
Hail. 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 q cab-horse just behind
me. Anxious to avoid accidents, |
quicken my steps and reach the oppo-
site pavement in safety What has
been the nature and operation Of the
nervous mechanism in this casep
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-
lions" 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-
sciousness OF danger 10 my per
cei,,.iity WIS awo.ke, probably DO
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 message Cor
s'sensation') from the outer world. II
is clear that, in order to escape dan
ger, l must possess means of acting,
like an intelligent policemen, upon
.information received" Accordingly
the sensation of sound sooner or later
is reflected" from the brain centers
10 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, unvarnished
story of that reflex 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 tc
avert threatened blow, or when your
eyelids close as some one in play
masses his hand rapidly before your
ewes, it is reflex action you again IL
lustrate in your movements. The eye
receives, and its nerve transmits, 9
..sensation" of sight to the seeing.
center of the brain. Thence is ''re'
fected" a 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
lessor" escapes his mothers attack /:
carried out BY similar reflex action
Of his nervous system. When yor
touch the feelers on a snairs head and
see them fold up in the marvelou:
fashion they exhibit, and when finally
that mollusk retires into the privacy