The morning times., 1897-01-27
Reading the Mind
With a Microscope

Mistakes in life will soon be impossible.
The man who stands at the prescription
counter anG thinks longingly of the court
room will be what his natural propensities
point toward-a lawyer The architect who
has always thought OF medicine affection
atcly will have followed tha science OF the
phials. The hod-carricr who notices the
world around him will be a wide-awake
drummer. All people win occupy their
natural cilinks
There Is man OF high standing, one
Prot. Clearinghouse, who has long been per-
fecting the system for brain examination
necessary to produce this Utopian result
Prof. Ebbinghouse recently read a paper
before medical board upon the examina-
zion Of school children To determine mental
soundness, and all present agreed upon it's
practicablity.
The completed system takes a man-chiM
from the age of nine years to manhood
During that time the brain is examined
at frequent intervals The natural areas
are first noted; afterward the changes
made by time are taken into consideration.
BY making suitable notes, a&ld drawing
deductions from them, a very clear idea OF
mans possibilities can be obtained.
The brain is. a peculiar organ 1t Is
supposed to be large in "brainy' people
and small in idiots This is the general
supposition. Facts. on the contrry, show
that the brain varies in size arbitrarily,
the brain OF some of the greatest thinkers
having been found, after death small and
Ii ght.
If the development OF the brain cells
had been noted it would have been found
that there was great development along
certain lines The brain of Gambetta
would have been found big in the speech
region and very well developed in the
portion or mental vision, But in those
days the brain was weighed az whole
without consideration OF its SEPARATE
parts.
There are twelve nerves leading up into
the brain, each communications with GER
tain brain Centers, These centers rule
certain parts of the body. Take the one
communicating with the arm and leg. If
that Is strong and highly developed it
means great muscular possibilities for the
man owning that brain. He would make
an excellent workman at any work needing
strength and eudurncc But as a soldier
he might not be IA great success unless busy
this the examination of the head in child
hood would determine.
If the Intellectual idea located in the
frontal bones is large, the man stands a
chance of being a great thinker If his
writing speeci-center. which is within
the motor speech-center, is big lie will be
a Kipling or lIewelis
The motor speech center is in the pos.
convolution, and is in some people very
large; almost visible at sight 1t is that
the phrenologist works upon. and through
this knowledge &C physiology is his science
absolutely dependent.
Eaca motion, each muscular movement,
almost eacn thought, can be located in
the brain by the scientist The portion
from which it sprang is known TO him
and he can diagnose its origin $ well az
its possibilities with perfect ease.
The animation Of a man for his
sphere in life will be conducted with the
aid OF the x-ray. The x-ray has been,
until lately very disappointing II prom
ised so much, yet always fell "a little
short. 1t shadowed the interior of per-
sons anatomy, yet so vaguely that the
arteries could be scarcely located For
eign bodies. bullets and Splinters could
be seen, but the actual workings Of the
organs about which there is so much
curiosity could not be seen.
a microscope is now used in connection
with the X-ray; ana with it the operator
can clear up many OF the indiStinct por-
tions
By taking an x-ray OF the brain, the sci
enlist, with his microscope. looks at the
shadowgraph and picks out tho prominent
portions. If the centeTs found at the top
OF the temporal bone are well developed, he
knows that the smell and taste nerves in
this man are sensitive and highly organ
lied. He examines him day by day,
and if the same result is always obtained,
he arrives at the Iirm conclusion that this
man will make an excellent chef. He can
direct culinary operations with a nicety
that will make him q Briuat- S.avar if he
is stUdious and ambitious.
If Ufe vision Canters are heavy and largely
out OF proportion tothe rest of the brain, he
knows that there is a man who can do any
thing that requires eyesight. He can be
come a painter. can do fine dental work;
anything that depends for its delicacy upon
the exactness of the eyesight
There is no limit to the revelations OF
shadowsraph taken from the brain. The
work OF taking them is difficult because
the operation must be many times repeated
until a clear shadow is obtained, and it is
expensive. Put the results justify all the
means.
The use Of this X-ray and the reading OF
the shadOwgraph is described by those who
have tried it as very wearing upon the per
sons as they sit under the ray. 1t is liter
ally having ones thoughts read, and that
is never pleasant for mortal.