Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-08
TALK UPON THE BRAIN.

Professor H. H. Donaldson TelIs of Recent Researches Upon This Im-
 portans Part of Human mechanism.
 4 large audience listened to an interesting | talk by Professor Fl. Fl. Donaldson in North | Sheffield hall last evening upon "Recent | Researches on the Brain." He gave good synopsis of the mode of achievement of what l limited knowledge is possessed at the pres ent time upon this very important part of the human mechanism. In beginning, he said that each part of the body has par- ticular function, which hassa separate ute. The brain when Hooked at does not tcffer any remarkable sub divisions. If the brain acts in part at Q time we can find basis upon which to build our philosophical pfob- lems. The question of localization has been one that has hovsred in the minds of men for has become more or less dominant that the brain does not act all together. Phrenology Is the earliest form in which this notion be- came popular. It held that wherever there was protuberauce of the brain there would be o corresponding protuberrnce of the skull, and these were made to harmonize with traits of character. It may be safely said that of the middle sges. The adverse report of the French academy was the rock upon which 1t foundered.
 It was hardly put aside when scientific physicians discovered that the loss of some certain portion of the human faculties was found to be associated with diseased por- tion of certain portion of the brain. Ex- periments were tried with birds and it was | found that as the brain was removed little by little, the creature became more and more stupid. It was afterward found that where a person lost the power of definite articulste speech e certain portion of the brain was affected. Two German investigators found that the passing electric current through a certain portion of the forehead caused 9 accounted for only in that same portion of the brain connected with the eyes had been | agftated. In this manner it was found that when various portions of the brain were ex- cited, corresponding agitations of certain portions of the body were observed. A study of the texture of brain matter was then begun. It was found 1t consisted of nerve cells from which ran small nerve fibre. Then when the brain was disturbed the impulse ran through the fibre. Many speculations were set forth upon these facts The most plausible one is that the outside of the brain is covered with nerve cells, which send their impulses downward through tine nerve flores, most of which pass downward through the spinal cord. When the arrange ments for motion were found, the investiga- tions of the rest of sensation were began. They have been far less satisfactory. The monkeys brain was most frequently experi- msnted with, as it was more like that of man. The regions of local ized functions which have been located in the brain are those of the head, arm. trunk, leg and sensory functions. Ia these centers are the functions of smell, taste, sight, hearing, speech and other more comHex functions. When regions of the brain have been affected by disease, the skull has been opened and an instrument placed upon the surface of the diseased brain. In this way has also the impulse produced been observed in the corresponding part of the
 body.
 The psychological functions of the mind are the most difficult to trace to any plausi
 bio conclusion and these were not dwelt upon by Professor Donaldson.
 The lecture next Tuesday will be by Dr. Robert F. Harper upon "History of the Dis- covery and Displacement of the Cuneiform lnscriptions."