The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-03-25
OUR THIRD EYE
Soientists Claim That We Have
an Extra Optic.
Thh necsntly Discoyered Organ Exists
Also In vertebrates OF the Lower
Orders Where II Is
Located

Recent researches prove that man
and all vertebrates seem to possess the
iudimen,s of third eye, This discoy
cry is not only very interesting, but
also remarkably instructiye,since the
rudimentary third eye Of man has, ls
one Of the most noted philosophers OF
modern days, been looked upon Us be-
ing the seat OF the soul.
AS organs by proper use develop in
strength and perfection, SO they be-
come weak by lack of use. Iffor many
generations an organ should remain
without use. its structure in time be-
comes simpler and more imperfect. II
such process continues throughout
ages, an organ, by constant disuse, will
become reduced 70 mere rudiment OF
what II was in the species using the
same. Thus, species of birds that only
walk and run, but never fly, have only
rudimentary wings, as the ostrich;
while in the eagle and the albatroes
tile wings are seen In state OF perfec-
tlon.
Now, in closely examining the skulls
or certain lizards, it was found that
near the top of head, under the dark,
opaque skin, and often in the very bone,
an almost perfect eye exists, although
no ray OF light ever could rcachit. THIS
eve shows crystalline lens, u retina OF
very complex structure and IN optic
nerve; in fact, all the essential parts
of perfect eye. But being covered by
the opaque skin of the animal It is alb
| solutely useless II this optic nerve Is
traced to the brain il is found to coin
iract the eye with the so-callcd pipeal
gland Of the brain. This pineal giant
IL, Of COURSE in no sense OF word u
real gland, but q definite portion OF the
nervous tissue of the brain, invariably
located Just bnck and partly over the
cerebrum, and in front Of the rounded
b.ain-mass which generally is consiu-
cred TO correspond 10 the corpora
qiadrigemina in man,
This third eye Of the spotted lizard
is called the piuenl eye, on account Of
the nerve connection Of the retina WITH
the pineal gland. Now, while in Ger
thin lizards this highly developed eye
is useless becauae II is covered by
apaque skin, md IL p'hers even deep
" hsdded IN bone, Il would seem proba-
bie that in an earlier stage Of develop
ment this pineal eye was not rudi-
mentary. hut In constant use A very
slight modification would accomplish
this namely, the transparency OF the
skin covering the eye This is exact.
| u the condition Of the normal eyes in
reptiles to-day; the skin covers them
hut ii is transparent where II passes
over the eye, In the skulls Of some oi
the gigantic reptiles Of the earlier agt
Of this globe, puleontologiats have long
ago ionnd large round perforRtion
Probably The wan the socket of the
third or piueal eye Of the ichthyosau
rus, the plesiosaurus and the labyrin
thodon.
But much more important conclu
sion must be drawn from this dIscoy
ery--namelY, that in all yertebrates
even including man, the traces of thii
third eye remain to-day. The pinea
eye OF lizards being connected with tbs
large pineal gland of the samet i
would seem that the pineal gland itsei
is but the nerve center OF optic tliulmu
for this third eye. In all reptiles am
amphbia the pineal gland is large; 81
it is also in fishes. In higher animal
the ccrebrum develops very much, over
growing the more posterior portions o
the brain, BY this prepouderance o
the nerve mass the pincal gland be
comes covered by the ccrebrum and as
sumes more and more rudimentar
forms. But II remains with obstinat
pertinaeity II Is even always presen
in man-though here only Of the size Q
pea and rudely resembling a pine con
in shape. II seems also degenerated 1
structure, having hardly any nervou
tissue. These facts Of form and struct
ure have given rise to its name, that {
pineal gland.-Popular Science Month
ly.