The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-02-09
WORKINGS OF THE BRAIN.
How the Different Parts Control ths
Movements of the Body.

Movements of the Body.
The nervous system is inclosed In Q
bony case composed OF tee bones OF
the head and the vertebrate; the en-
cephalos Is contained in the cranial
cavity, the spinal marrow in the spinal
canal. The marrow and the brain DO
not completely fill these cavities. and
the interstices are filed with liquid,
which prevents shocks and compress
sions. From the marrow and the brain
the sensitive and motor nerves start,
which carry sensations to the two CEN
trail organs and take back the move
ments. A sensation brought to the
brain by sensitive nerve generally
provokes motion, contraction. In
such cases the brain is center, in
which the impression is transformed
into action. But very often
the impression is not followed
by any action; the nervous
system then becomes a central store
house for impressions. M. Brissaud
very aptly compares the brain to a
Photographic plate which retains the
image and only yields it under the in
fuence of developing body. The
brain, particularly in infancy, stores
up numerous sensations, which later
cause actions. The cerebral center re-
tains these images, that is, these last
ing remembrances of outward excite
ments. The gray substance which
forms the outside covering of the brain
is a sensitive plate on which images OF
the outer world are impressed. The
nerves conduct the electric, heat,
light and sound waves to this cerebral
covering, where they are impressed as
on the cylinder of monograph. The
impression is more or less exact,
according to the nature Of the cere-
bral instrument; it is more or less
profound, according to the breadth or
the number of vibrations of the waves.
The impression thus formed becomes n
recollection; it tends to become etfaced
with age; it submits to alterations, ac-
cording to notifications of the i'm
pressed surface. These images may re-
main unused in the brain for long
time, as the Photographic plates in
their box. The idea of an object is
thus always the recollection of an OBJ
ject.
The association of ideas often causes
an association Of movements, called
learns to knit. At first she is very
awkward, but gradually she progresses
and the work almost does itself, until
finally she walks, talks and learns her
lessons while knitting. The different
automatic centers occupy localized re-
gions in the brain. The most cele-
brated is the center of language, local
lied about 1925 by Bouillaud in the
front lobe of the brain. When any in
jury whatever-rupture of blood YES
sci, softening of the brain tissue, etc
attacks this lobe, the faculty of
language disappears and the patient is
stricken with aphasia. There are sew
eral aspects of this disease. Some
times the patient can not speak, but is
able to express his thought in writing:
this is aphasia of articulation; others
are able to speak, but can not even
write their own names; this is graphic
aphasia; others, though not at all
deaf, have no idea that the name they
hear pronounced is their own name,
although they may be able to speak it,
read it, or write it; this is auditive
aphasia; others, finally, without be-
ing blind, have lost .the faculty
of reading although they can still
write; this is visual aphasia. Right
handed aphasics, unable to speak, have
suffered some injury of the third left
frontal circumvolution, and left-hand-
ed ones of the corresponding right one.
Those who can not write have some in.
jury to the second frontal circumvolu-
ton. Those who have lost the faculty
of hearing have a wound in the first
left frontal circumvolution, and those
who can not see writing one of the Sec
ond parietal left circumvolution. Char
cot has said, and NJ. Brissaud repeats:
I'm studying cerebral affections the
nature of the injury is almost matter
of indifference; the localization is
everything" One may become aphasic
in consequence of an attack of apo
plexy. blow or shock which causes
an abscess of the brain, or cancer
which presses on that organ. 1t can
even be produced by tuberculosis.
Alas! that the brain should be so deli
cate an organ.-Scientific American.