Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-05
INSANITY AND NERVE POISON.
a Theory rbas Insanity Is a Form AZ
BLOOD Poisoning.

BLOOD Poisoning.
~ Is already beginning to bo ns,.od
whether the delifium Of insanity IA MAJ
due, ms that Of typhoid fever ~ b,ood
poisoning 70 cerebral INVESTIGATION by in.
iectlous products or by the waste Of in.
suinolent or yitinted assimilation. IL IA
certain that polsons act In n very mower.
iul manner on the nervous system Iend
mercury aud alcohol often produce nnraly.
SIS among painters, gilders and those on.
gagged in the Manufacture OF alcohol Poi.
son produced by tho microbc OF dlph,herla
often causes paralysis. as do the polsons
secreted by other bacilll. So the moro
eminent specialists study nervous and
mental mnlndios the more they nnnrnaeh
the conclusions OF Pastcur--that these ais.
cases have some connection with Infectious
microbes-and the more also they nppiy 10
their specially tho ingenious idens OF NJ.
Bonehsrd on the troubles caused by bad
digestion OF alimontary products.
Thenervous system is inclosed In a bony
case composed Of the bones Of tho head and
the vertchrm. The encephalos Is contained
In the cranial cavity; tho spinal marrow
IN tho spinal canal Tho marrow and tho
brain do not completely MI those cavities.
and the lnterstices are filled with LIQUID
which prevents shocks and COMMISSIONS.
From the marrow and tho brain the scnsi.
tive and motor nerves start which carry
sensations to tho two central organs and
take hhok tho movements.
A sensation brought to the brain by
sensitive nero generally provokcs n mo.
ton, n contraction. In such cases tho
brain is o center, In which the impression
10 transformed into action, but very often
the impression Is not followed by any nc.
uon. Tho nervous system then becomes
central storehouse for impressions. NJ.
Brissnud very Aptly compares tho brain to
u Photographic plate which retains tho
Image and only yields II under tho inilu.
cnce Of n developing body. The brain, par.
ticnlnGly in Infancy stores up numerous
sensations, which later cause actions. Tho
cerebral center retains these imAgos-thnt
Is, these lasting rcmcinbranocS Of outward
excitrments The array substance which
forms tho outside covering of the brain is
n sensitive plate, on which images Of tho
outer world are impressed.
The nerves conduct tho electric, heat,
light and sound waves 10 this cerebral GOV.
cring, whore they are impressed as ON tho
cylinder of photograph The impression
Is more or less exact according 90 the na.
ture Of the cerebral instrument. II ismoro
or less profound according 10 the breadth
of the number or vibrations Of tho waves.
This impression thus formed becomes rec.
objection. It tends to become otlnocd with
nge, 1t submits to alterations according
to notifications OF tho Impressed surface.
These images may remain unused In the
brain for n long timo, MS the Photographic
plates in their box. The ideA Of an object
is thus always tho recollection OF an OBJ
ject.
The association Of ideas often causes an
association Of movements, called AutomAt-
io. A llttlc girl, for Instance, learns to
knit. At first sho Is very awkward, but
gradually she progresses, and tho work nj
most does itself, until finally she walks,
talks and learns her lessons while knit
ting. Tho different automatic ccnters &C.
eupy localized regions In the brain. Tho
most celebrated Is the oontor Of language
localized about 1925 by Bouillaud In tho
front lobe Of tho brain. When any injury
whatever rupture of n blood vessel, sof'
tening OF tho brain tissue, etc, attacks this
lobe, tho faculty OF language disappears,
and tho patient is stricken with nphusia.
There are several hspocts OF this disease,
Sometimes tho patient cannot speak, hut
is able to express his thought IN writing,
This IL aphasia OF articulation. Others Aro
able to speak, hut cannot oven write their
own names This is graphic hphasla.
Others, though not at all deaf, have no
idea that the name they hear pronounced
is their own name, although they may DO
able 10 speak It, read II or writo IL. This
is nudltivo aphasia. Others, finally, with
out being blind. have lost the faculty OF
reading, although thoy can still write.
This Ia visual npbaSla. Right handed
nphasius, unable TO speak, have suffered
some injury Of tho third left frontal cir
oumvolutiOn, and left handed ones OF the
corresponding right ono. Those who can.
not write have some injury 10 tho second
frontal cireuinvolution. Those who hayo
lost the faculty Of hearing have wound
in tho frst left frontal circumvolution,
and those who cannot sec writing one OF
the second pariotal left circumvolution.
Charcot has said and NJ Brissaud TO
peats: "In studying cerebral affections tho
natur, Of the injury is almost u matter OF
Indifference The retaliation Is every
thing" one may lecome aphnsio In con
sequence Of an attack Of npopleSy, blow
or shock, which causes nm nbscess OF the
brain, or a cancer, which presses on that
organ. IL can even DO produced by tnber'
cnlosls. Alas that tho brain should ho so
delicate an organl-Dr q. Darenboi, In
pafis Journnl dos Dehats-