Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1893-08-10
SENSE OF TOUCH.
How It Varies I'm Different Parts Of the
Human Body.

Human Body.
If there is any subject that people in
general think they are specially IA
miliar with that subject is their own
sense of touch or skin-feeling. Yet how
few will not be surprised to learn that
the points of pair of compasses held
two and three-ffths inches apart
against the middle of ones own back
feel like but one point? If opened out
to two and half inches they feel like
two. This was discovered by Weber in
a series of experiments to which Mr..
Herbert Spencer has lately called at.
tention.
Weber found the tips of the fore
fingers could feel the two points when
they were one-twelfth of an inch apart,
but not when closer together. Between
this fine sensitiveness and the coarse.
sensitiveness of the middle of the back
all the outer parts of the body vary.
For instance, the inner surface Of
the second joints of the forefnger can
distinguish the two compass points
one-sixth of an inch apart. The inner
most points have less sensitiveness of
this sort, but rank in it equal with the
tip of the nose. The end of the toe, the
palm of the hand and the cheek have
alike one-ffth of the perceptiveness of
the tip of the forefnger, and the lower
part of the forehead has one-half that
of the cheek.
-The back of the hand and the crown
of the head are nearly alike in having
fourteen times less sensitiveness of
this sort than the tip Of the forefnger
The thigh has less near the knee, and
the points of the compasses must be an
inch and one-half apart before the
breast ceases to feel them as one.
Mr.. Spencer accounts for these diff.
ferences on the ground of the greater
practice of some parts of the body in
feeling various objects. For instance,
the finger-tips are educated in the
matter, and their qualities transmitted.
by4inheritance to successive genera
tions, The tongue, always feeling the
teeth, and often feeling particles Of
food, is still better educated. It's tip
can distinguish between compass
points one-twenty-fourth of an inch
apart, and is the most sensitive mem
Der of the body.
Mr.. Spencer's theory agrees with
some well-knoWn facts. For example.
bestowed what was pretty well known
long before he was born, that the
hnger-tips of the blind are more sensi-
tive than those of persons who can see,
and who therefore do not practice
their sense of touch SO much. He also
found that skilled type-setters were
more sensitive than the blind on whom
he experimeated, for the type-setters
could distinguish both compass points
when one-seventeentho Of an inch apart.
It may be suggested that many facts
could be adduced to show that parts of
the body do not become more but less
sensitive by continual touching Of
things. The fingers Of seamstress
are often ..calloused' by needle pricks
or pressures, and yet she is always as
much seeking to avoid the prickinp as
the type-setter is to seize but one type.
But in such scientific matters theo-
ries are plenty and easily made. The
facts themselves are the interesting
things, as are all pieces of novel infor-.
nation about the wonderful human
body. Youth. S Companion.