The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-11-18
Tho ger,beIium and the Emotions.

According to the former view Of physoo
| gsts tho cerebellum was supposed to control
combined muscular action, and to nd ust the
voluntary movements IN IN organized man.
ner. But its sim larity IN anato meal con-
/ struction and its close connection WITH the
cerebellum, rs well as its relation t. the cords
which conduct the sensati rs 20 the spinal
/ marrow, have led the rench naturalist, Cour-
! mont. 10 suppose according to statement IN
/ the Alg Med. Central e. that not only the
/ organized workings of tue voluntary motions
are governed 10y the cere beum. but that there
! also distinct spiritual occurrences have their
| seat As IS known, mental actions such as
! thinking. reasoning, comparing. willing etc.
are performed IN the cerebrum. Through n
great number of observations COurmoDt has
reached the conc usiOn that the emotions.
such as love. hate. anger. fear. JOY. sorrow.
etc. have their origin IN the cerebelum. an
opinion which was certainly expressed by Jes.
sen rs tar back rs 1853, but remained unno-
ticed on account Of the want of proof It's
great similarity 10 the cerebrum in its finer
anatomical relations and also physiological
experiments seem 20 prove this: but still
more clinical observations. several of
which we will communicate. A lady who for
some reason had lost her mental balance an
sweTed all questions respecting the exterior
world quite nationally. but became deliri0us
a. soon as her emotions were IN tue least dis
turbed. After her death the cerebe.lum WAS
found altered. If the cerebrum Is considered
as the only support OF the mental occur
rences there must certainly be Two different
kinds OF cells. one Of which supplies the in
teliectual actions. the other tae emo
tiOnal. and any occurrence. such as q
disturbance in the circulation, will in
huence ono and not the other. On the
contrary. occasional changes IN the cerebel-
lum. its diseased state or entire absence as is
often found cut after death. are indicated
during the entire lifetime by de ided diseases
of the ceilings. This was shown in the case
of woman in whom the LETT half OF the GER
ebellum was wanting. while the cerebrum
and the spinal column were found 10 be en-
tlrely sound. / rom her earliest childhood
she Was subject o certain tmldlty which.
on the slightest occasion. manifested itself !
through weeping. wailmg and trembling, |
while her other feelings were entirely normal. !
In another case q disease of the cerebellum /
was observed IN an eleyen-y ear-Old girl l
although she was mentally well developed /
she had never, IN her lite, experienced either |
p easure or pain. and 10 all questions replied |
with yes" or no A third case was met in /
a man about forty years old. All his life he
had been a great liar thief and idler and i'm
moral in the highest degree. had never had
friend, know neither love. affection or graft
tude. While tho cerebrum was entirely
normal. the cerebelium appeared 10 be extra
shrunken. In all these cases
changes of the cerebellum or a great defect
thereof were accompanied by great PECULIAR
ties of the emotions. But COurmont has
further succeeded Ia supporting his
opinion through an experiment: ravens.
which are extraordinary timd. remain
fearless after the destruction Of the
Also o study Of comparative an
ltOmy leads greatly % strengthen this opinion.
The higher one mounts IN the geological
scale. the greater the development Of the
which reaches It's highest perfec-
ion in man. If it were only means Of mus
,ular action. then the cerebellum should be
extraordinarily developed in animals whose
muscular strength and endurance are most
rs in deer. horses. hares. squir-
els, etc. but iuirrrls have prOportionately
he smallest cerebellum On the other hand
eals whales. dOlphins and the ocean man.
mails generally have a large cere-
)ellum, and. according 10 the unani-
nous opinion OF eminent naturaiists.
hese animals are exceedingly social live in
arge families. protect each other in danger.
nd show great love and tenderness to their
Inspiring. Among reptiles. on the contrary,
he cere0elium IL but slightly developed. and !
hese are seldom social are mutual aggres-
i've and deyOur their young Next 20 NAM
nails. birds possess a prOpOrtiOnally large
erebellum and these, as is well known, ara
cry tender toward their young. in further
roof of the theory, the nerves which are
imposed % express extremes OF emotion. as
he nerve Of the tears md the great facial
erves. arise from the cerebellum T rams
tied for Public Opinion from the New York
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