San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-16
MAPPING The BRAIN.
The knowledge Gained of the
Area of Certain Motions and
Sensations.

All the motions and sensations OF
the various parts of the body are re :
presented in the surface of the brain
as on map. Thus, there is a seper-
ste brain area necessary tor sight,
another for hearing, another for the
motions OF the fingers, and so on.
Each OF these areas is called q center.
Four Of these are especially
coscerned in the use of Ian,
gusge, and may therefore be called
language centers-the auditory CEN
ter, by which words are heard; the
motor speech center, which excites
the vocal organs In speaking; the
visual center, by which written words
are seen, and the writing center.
which guides the motion of the hand
in writing. These centers are cspa BILE
of Individual development by prac-
tice, and in order that each may re.
ceive its due share of cultivation 1t is
necessary to know it's relative impor-
lance in the different ways of using
language.
Disease insrructs us on this point
by making some interesting though
ruthless experiments. inf ,mmation,
or the growth of a tumor, or the rup-
ture or plugging of blood vessel
may destroy any of these centers, in
volving, OF course, q loss of the cor
responding function. Consequently
the various defects in the use of lsu-
guage are the subjects of q large and
very important chapter In the treat
Use on brain disease. So far as l am
aware no practical use has been made
of this knowledge outside the domain
of medicine.
Yet 1t would be very strange If,
from the ways in which the use OF
language Is lost or suffers varying de-
grees and kinds of impairment, we
could learn nothing as TO how it may
be best be acquired. The loss occs-
stoned by the destruction of any lam
guage center Is from neglectlng to
| cultivate the same center by practice;
and, as disease selects now one and
now another center for attack, we
learn the extent to which each Is ne
cessary in hearing, speaking, reading
or writing. The auditory center re-.
ceives the nervous impulses started
by sound.
| When it is aroused by impulses
coming from the cal 9 the sensation OF
sound occurs, but when it is aroused
| by nerve currents not from the ears
| but from other parts of the brain, we
| have only the memory of sound. For
q word to be understood the auditory
| center alone Is not sufficient. The
sound must awaken the memories OF
| other sensations. The word "orange,"
for instance, has q meaning, because
| the auditory center. when the word
| is heard, arouses I'm the visual center
| the memory of the color and form Of
an orange; In the centers for touch,
| temperature, posture and muscular
| sense the memory OF the sensations
which occur when the fru tbs grasped
| by the hand; In the centers for smell
and taste the memory of its Pc
culiar ordor, flavor aud tartness.
These sensations are said to be asso.
ciated with the sound of the word,
and together with 1t they constitute
the concept "orange." The nerve cur.
rents passing from one center to an-
| other are called association impulses.
| five have often eaten oranges and at
| the same time heard the name the
auditory center, whenever 1t psrceIves
| or remembers the sound, will send
vigorous impulses to the other cen.
| ters and the idea will be vivid. But
| If our experience Of ranges has been
very limited, or If instead of the COR
rect name q merely similar sound has
been heard, the association impulses
will be sent slowly, feebly, and un-
certainly, SO that the ides will be
| vague.
A Young Samson at Tufts College.
Boston Herald.
The prominence gained by Tufts
College In the athletic world this year
through the prowess of her football
team has received new support In
Harry o. Robinson, the young man
who astonished everybody by the
record he made in the recent physical
examination at Tufts. For those to
whom measurements mean nothing
the fact may be suggestive that his
total strength surpases not only that
of any man ever examined ut Tufts,
but is far greater than the best record
at Harvard this fall, where the same
system of measurements is In use.
The record made by Mr.. Cockrell,
Harvsrd's strongest man, Is 1855
kiIogrammes, or, reckOned in pounds,
223s 5 pounds. Robinson's total ex-
ceeds this by 1877. / pounds. The de-
tails which go to make his total are
as follows. Grip 128 pounds; expira-
ton, 457 pounds; back lift, 1875 pounds;
leg lift, 1924 pounds; hips, Is; pulls,
| ~: total strength, 2424 pounds.
Robinson is 81 yearsold, and looks
every inch the strong manthat he is.
| Although weighing only 1853 pounds,
he has, by virtue of his muscular de-
yelopment, been able to hold the
positiau at guard on the varsity foot
| ball team for two years.
Where he gets his immense
strength cannot be explained, for he