The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-25
ON BRAIN AND MUSCLE
IN TBEIR RELATIONS TO THE SCHOLAR
AND Professional NAM


A. Address By Dr. wnIsua A. Hs.uoss
Before the Facuity ard Stusests OF Unioe
College, at Schenectady, n. T., on Feh. ..
II was with great pleasure that I accepted
the kind invitation Of the President Of your
Alumni Association and the founder OF this
course Of lectures. Gen. Butterneld. to address
you on the i'm portant subject OF the relations
Of physical exercise to the mind and body In
some OF the prominent occupations Of the ac-
tive man. II is not to be expected that I shall
enter at length into the consideration OF the
anatomy. chemistry. and physiology OF the
subject; but there are few prominent points
in these connections which 1t Is essential
should be understood in order that you may
fully appreciate the views which are to follow.
For, though you may already have q general
idea OF the matters to which refer. 1t will not.
am sure. be time thrown away II 1 endesyor
TO bring them specifically to your attention on
the present occasion.
In order that person may have the capacity
for physical exercise. he must possess three
kinds OF anatomical organs, nerve centres to
provide the force By which the muscles are to
be made to contract, nerves to transmit this
force. and muscles, by means OF which the
force 10 manifested in the movements Of the
body and limbs. All these organs. however.
would be useless unless there 10 the force. to
which have referred. to put them in action.
and this force is the mind. And by mind we are
TO understand, not only the force that comes
from the brain. but that also which 10 evolved
from other parts Of the nervous apparatus, the
spinal cord and certain collections OF gray
nerve tissue called RanGlia, found In
various parts OF the body. without
this force tho organs In question would
be in about tho situation OF an engine without
the steam required to sot 1t in motion. The
organism is complete. its cylinders pistons.
and valves are IN order: but IL Is dead. for the
force that makes IL n thing OF life Is not there.
Now. this force in the animal body Is produced
By the action Of what Ia called gray nerve sub
stance. In the brain this is placed on the out
sdo to the depth OF about u twelfth Of an inch.
and is hence called the cortex; but In the
spinal cord It il in the interior OF the organ.
extending its whole length. and being shaped
something like n capital letter II. used to
gay In my lectures to medical students that II
should ever DC DISPOSED to make Tor myself
sue us the object OF my alteration. For II Is
the most wonderful substance. so far as we
Know in the whole universe, surprising In its
grandeur sun and moon and stars and every
thing else Of which we have any knowledge.
emotions to conceive ideas. to exert his will
found in all animals. high and low. It is in
none In such great quantity or In such high
atanda
at the head Of ali animated nature
But the gray nerve tissue forms but n small
o 81 rhs egr 81 the
constitutes The greater part Of both these or.
gans. and this is the white substance. The
ter. II has nothing to do with the production
OF force, Its office Is to receive Impressions
and organs OF the body the power ' by WHEN WSies
their functions are performed. 1t places the
contact in reSton With The r. N MoIa
have said that the brain is not the only, or
Of physiological Investigations. a decapitated
frog perform acts showing tho possession Of
once admit the correctness OF my statement
a statement which Is certainly not in accord
You. and which would possibly he called in
Question by some physiologists II the side Of
f sSSh Of HE 9s gently sslsd With q stray The
straw away II that foot DO held so tha. Il cane o
not be employed. the foot OF the other side is
II the animal be placed in a vessel OF water.
Il swims almost as vigorously as II the
It meets with an obstruction. It turns aside
TO avoid 1t. or II unsuccessful In tho effort
efforts show intelligence and Indicate that
there are other sources OF mind than the
distance OF eeyera es atsr 20 h. s ol s.s
been cut on, showing that the knowledge it
emit and available for the object IN view. Tho
tail of turtle will vibrate ii pinched for sew.
srai months not only after the head of the
made into soup for the Jsiectaton Of '' L Sna
&na Pns NEW Yo Ns" s1 aSrk epiours
cent sS,.h date ate l ind an Incident described
cussion, A sea turtle was captured by a party
oi gentlemen on the Gull shore In Texas. and
head was Gu, on pFsIass.ory 70 the animal
OF the party the decapitated turtle endeavored
60 escape By making for the water. Several
stance 1t discovered the direction in which the
water lay and made efforts to reach II. Tho |
messed u repetition Of the procedure and calls
attention to the fact that water snakes exhibit |
the ike action when docapitated.
call to mind how upon ono occasion q rat
tlesnake behaved to a teamster who had cut |
If It's head With s5TGks Q, bis whip lash
over II to example the animal more closely. |
Suddenly the coil Strengthened, and the head. |
server full in the forehead. The man tainted
from the nervous shock. and the sn ak Q crawled |
These manifestations are not so striking in |
warm bloodod ami mails. hut even In them they |
seen u chicEen alter its neck has been wTung.
walk several steps In quite u determinate man |
nes belo;e falling ana DYING from loss Of blood: |
that the act of decapitation necessarily in
blood that the death OF the whole body ensues
almost ut the very instant. Nevertheless, can
recall to your minds many examples in
which while the brain. though present, is lui- |
ascent or otherwise engaged. actions are per
formed which can only Ge the result Of some |
degree of mentality. Take. Tor instance the |
Tact loi which doubtless many OF you have PER-
soual experienced. that young lady will en-
gage her brain IN conyersatio with her sweet
heart while mt the same time she performs a |
ninicult piece OF music on the piano She cam
not do TINS with composition that sh . has not
thoroughly learned for then she requires
all the mind that tho brain and spinal
cord can give her; hut when the music Is we'll
mastered she can employ her brain with her
young man and her spinal cord with her piano
GU have all. doubtless, while walking or read
ing, occupied your higher mental faculties
with something very foreign To directing your
steps in crossing streets or jumping CUTTERS
and turning corners until you reached your
own doorsteps, or in paying attention to the
noye! you may De peTusing or the ahstruse
volume on mathematics YOU are studying. and
Iet you have never made a mistake in your
quite or failed to turn over tho leaves regu-
AriJ as you reached the bottom OF the pages
without your having the slightest conscious
hess OF what your legs have been dOin z in the
ono case or your hands in the other. No idea
u the scenes that have been enAetinR before
Iou, or OF the incidents or problems OF your
books. has been formed. Your brain has been
otherwise employed; your spinal cord has
moved your legs and your hands.
me main point wish to Impress upon You
n citing these InPta Il tlfs-fbaf u, !