The age-herald., 1897-12-29

views of M. Richet as opposed to those of N. Frederick.
 '2. It happened at another time that made misstep, placing my foot on the sensation of pain. had first a sensation of shock, the speed being about one-thir- tieth of a second from my feet to my brain and at once I began observation with my centers of analysis, for l knew that sharp pain would follow. The pain came one second later; it lasted four or five sec onds, growing gradually less and less.
 'In this case I was warned waited, and I analysed my feelings. The impression of the shock had the time to be perceived and registered, whence the pos sibility of observation.
 "It was not the same as in the former case, the time of transfer being too rapid to allow the analysing centers to work separately. Nevertheless, if an absorbing process of thought holds them in working order. dissociaton can be produced because the tactile impression knocks for an fn- stant at the gate of the analysing centers, 90 to speak, and the time that it takes to open this gate is long enough to cause solution of continuity between the two im- pressions of sensitiveness to touch and sen- sitiveness to pain.
 "I believe that it Is in the brain that we must seek for the cause of the delay in consciousness of pain, and not in re- tardaton of speed on the part of special nerves whose power of transmission is, as has been supposed less than that of the ordinary nerves"
 According to the authors hypothesis then, pain, being simply very powerful sensation, differs from the ordinary sensa- tions simply in excess of strength, and is, of course. transmitted over the same nerves and with the same speed; but the mind may apprehend it as a sensation of touch, or whatever it may be. before walk ing up, as we may say, to the idea that it is an excessive or painful sensation. To quote again:
 "Af strong conception responds to strong impression, coming from a special or highly devloped sensibility But the appreciation of the impression is riable. The same blow received, for eX- ample, by an English boxer at the begin ming of his training and when he is in full form, does not produce the same pain ful reaction. We know that boxer in good form should be able to receive with out much pain the most powerful blows full on the chest.
 ITO reach such a degree of resistance he accustoms himself to receive progressively more and more violent blows. And at the same time, as he must himself deal blows, he habtuates his own fists to pain. He boxes against bags, and little by little, as his lists become accustomed to soft sur faces, he strikes harder ones A good boxer in training and in first-rate form should be insensible to the pain of a blow.
 'Does he reach this degree of insensi- bility by education of set of special nerves of pain? We think not. We rath- CT hold that he reaches it by process of psychic education. For him pain should be only a word, because his training con sists not so much in the development of his muscles as in the suppression of pain which would interfere with him and pre- vent him from striking out to the best ad- vantage Now, mental training has noth- Ing to do with SOapial of In "This mastery over pain cannot exist without a series of mental sensations of blow of the fist The becoming accustomed to it is a psychic phenomenon; it results from comparison of the progressive value or the intensity of the blows received
 We therefore agree with the psychic hypothesis advanced by M. Rchet, who believes that there is pain center in the brain, near the centers where the sensa- tions are produced"