Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-04
the SECRET OF PHYSICAL PAIN.
Is There a Separate System OF nerves 'o'
Conveying That ssnsatio"7
Orrom the Literary Digest)

main is = sneciai sensation, apart from
those of touch. sight. &c. anu ala .
mitted to the brain by a special SET OF
nerves. When boy Iai i:s anu h has two o
sensations. one of contact with the
ground, transmitted to the brain py tne
ordinary nerves. and one OF pam que 10
the injury received. transmitted py .ne
main nerves These sensations may not
even reach the brain at the same time,
in fact. the pain usually gets there later.
In the Revue Scientifique M. PHILIPPE It's
sic discusses this theory, ana conciuueS
that it does not correspond 10 the lacts.
which are to be explained rather by what
goes on in the brain itself, where there
IS probably a special pain centre, that
is not stimulated except by an excessive
sensation. Says NJ. Tissie:
Under this title elias Pain It's Special
Nerves?o NJ FREDERICK has recently ad-
dressed a letter TO M. Richet. in which
he maintains the existence of special
nerves of pain. NJ. Fredericq bases MS
theory on "a the retardation of the SEN
sation of pain compared TO that OF toucn,
(2) the suppression of this sensation In
certain cases; CD the difference of sensi-
bility to pain and touch, as In portions
of the body that are scarcely sensitive
at ali to cold. but are very much so 10
the main of shock; and 90 the similarity
of the painful sensation. whatever may
be it's cause. provided that the injured
cutaneous surface is of given extent
and the exciting cause OF a given lnten-
sity. The stroke of whip sears the SKIN
as a red-hot iron would.
I'VE think with NJ. Richet ana with M
Lombroso. who accepts the theory that
pain is the result of strong eXcltation OF
| the senses. that such reasons are not sur
| fcient and, what is more. that the the
| ory of special nerves explains nothing
and therefore serves only to confuse the
already complicated problem of the
psycho-physiology of pain. On the other
| hand. NJ. FREDERICK fails to take into ac-
| count the psychic function OF the brain
Here are two facts from my expert
| ence
| a. One winter morning. ON rising, my
mind being taken up with an absorbing
process of thought. l proceeded. accord
| ing to my habit, to take my daily cold
water bath. But at the first contact oil
! the sponge full of waer. / was surprised:
my thought was replaced in my mind by
| a succession of two different impressions,
| separated by relatively long interval
one of touch and one of temperature
MY consciousness thus aided in the
| clear separation of two Impressions OF
different kinds. On the morrow morning
| | fixed my attention. as soon as l got up,
| so that ! might better analyZe the sensa-
tons felt on the first contact OF the
| sponge with the skin, but could not de-
| tect the separation of the two impress
| sions. as on the previous day. when the
| phenomenon had been produced auto
| matically.
Il repeated the same experiment sew
eral days in succession without result.
| This seemed to me to be contrmatory OF
| the views of NJ Richet as opposed TO
| those of NJ. FREDERICK.
| 80 1t happened at another time that j
made a misstep placing my foot on the
ground sidewise so as to get a
| 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 l began observation
| with my centres of analysis. for ] knew
| that a sharp pain would follow. The
| pain came one second later; IL lasted
four or five seconds, growing gradually
| less and less.
I'm this case l was warned. I waited.
| and | analyzed my feelings The
| impression of the shock had the time to
| be perceived and registered, whence the
! possibility of observation.
1T was not the same as in the former
| case. the time of transfer being too rapid
| to allow the analyZing centres to work
| separately. Nevertheless, if an absorb
ing process of thought holds them in
working order. dissertation can be pro-
| duced because the tactile impression
+, knocks for an instant at the gate of the
analyZing centres. so to speak, and the
| time that il takes to open this gate is
| long enough to cause solution of con-
tinuity between the two impressions of
| senSitiveneSS to touch and sensitiveness
| to pain
Il believe that it is in the brain that
we must seek for the cause of the delay
| in consciousness of pain, and not in a
retardation of speed on the part of spec
ial 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 sem
sations simply in excess of strength, and
| &c Of trl tod
nerves and with the same speed; but the
mind may apprehend it as a sensation of
touch. or whatever it may be. before
waking up. as We may say. to the idea
that it is an excessive or painful Sensa-
ton. To quote again:
"A strong conception responds to a
strong impression. coming from a special
or highly developed sensibility
But the appreciation of the impression is
| variable The same blow received. for
| example, by an English boxer at the be-
ginning of his training. and when he is
in full form, does not produce the same
painful reaction. We know that a boxer
| in good form should be able to receive
| without much pain the most powerful
blows full on his chest.
| ITO reach such a degree of resistance
he accustOms himself to receive progress
sively more and more violent blows And
| at the same time. as he must himself
deal blows, he habituates his own fists to
pain. He boxes against bags, and little
by little, as his fists become accustomed
| to soft surfaces, he strikes harder ones.
A good boxer in training and in first-rate
form should be insensible to the pain of
| blow.
docs he reach this degree of insensi-
bility by education of set of special
nerves of pain? We think not. We
rather hold that he reaches it by a pro-
cess of psychic education. For him pain
should be only word, because his train
| ing consists not SO much in the develop
ment of his muscles as in the suppression
of pain. which would interfere with him
and prevent him from striking out to the
best advantage. Now, mental training
has nothing to do with special nerves of
pain. This mastery over pain cannot
exist without series of mental acts
having relation with the diverse painful
| sensations of blow of the fist. The be-
coming accustomed to it is psychic
phenomenon: it results from comparison
of the progressive value of the intensity
| of the blows received.
1--WE therefore agree with the psychic
| hypothesis advanced by NJ. Richet. who
believes that there is pain centre in
| the brain, near the centres where the
| sensations are produced"
LIFE At ARMY POST.