Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-25
AmBloExTERs' BRAINS.
Hovel Theory Advanced Of 4 Dual Brain

A you wish to have a whole brain in
STEAD of half brain you must becom
an ambidexter; you must tram yo,rrsel
10 use both hands with equal dizziness
| pr George NJ. kellogg, a yetera,
| western anatomist, has come I'd thi
city 10 discuss this unique theory will
orolners in science. This theorist VIII.
| was al one time professor of anatom,
s0t tle keokuk Medical college and VIII,
mas mad wide and long experience il
matters relating to the brain and ner
Vous system, has been received here b,
many of Washingtons most distin
| sulshed savants, one Of whom intro
uuced him to your correspondent. II,
was the other night invited to explain
his theory before the Anthropologica
society. in the lecture room of the Cos
mos club.
DIR. kelloggs interesting views arc
based principally upon observations
made during the treatment of many
cases of brain disorder. He has been q
practical physician and surgeon fol
more than a half-century, having als6
been division surgeon throughout the
late war. Four years ago he retired
from practice to devote himself to study
previous to the announcement of his
new theory. Believing Washington to
be the nations centre of science, he has
come here with his evidence for the
purpose of giving his views the widest
circulation. He says that it is his am
bition to have his theory verified or dis
proved by experiments in the various
medical institutions and to persuade
parents to train their children to ambi-
|deXterity.
Explaining his theory to your CORES
pondent, DR.. Kellogg said that the
brain Is double organ, like the eyes
ears, hands, etc. In other words, We
really have two brains, just as a loco
motive has two cylinders. 1t is known
that the greater number of the nerves
leading from each half of the brain to
the half of the body which they govern
cross before connecting with the body.
To understand this properly, suppose
the brain to be two cells of battery
and the nerves of the body to be tive
distinct systems OF electric wires.
About nine-tenths of the wires emanat-
ing from the left cell connect with the
right side of the body, and about the
same proportion coming from the right
cell govern the wires on the left side OF
the body. About tenth of the nerves
coming from each side of the brain.
however, connect directly with the cor
responding side of the body.
The body is built of paired limbs.
paired muscles. paired nerves and
paired organs. These parts on one side
are like their duplicates on the other in
structure, function and in form, the
only exceptions being that they are re-
versals of each ether. All mammals are
made up of such paired parts. II
man alone. DR.. Kellogg says, is there a
difference in the strength, dexterity and
usefulness of the opposite muscles
nerves or organs. This one-sidednese
in man he believes to be neither nat
ural nor necessary. 1t Is simply the
result Of habit. Thus almost all mel
have come to use the right side of theil
bodies in preference to the left. The
left side of the brain has thus been
made predominant, since,as before said
the left brain controls the right half of
the body In the doctors belief il il
possible and probable that the left
hemisphere of the average mans brair
controls the whole of his body, the
muscles and organs of the left side of
the body being governed by the small
number of direct nerves going straight
down from the left brain. The brain
not only controls the movements OF the
body. 5u when the body makes mo
ton il leaves a record or change OF
development in the brain. If the nerves
running to one-half Of the brain are
not used in childhood they soon becom
useless and do not volunteer to act. II
other words the average man might ps
compared to disabled locomotive run
ming zone side that is to say. gov
erned by only one cylinder. But unllks
the one cylinder, the one side OF thS
brain which does the greater part OF the
work becomes more and more developed
and more and more anxious to DO all OF
the work. After the habit is formed ii
probably does all of the work. In the
doctors opinion. it therefore follows
that were beth sides of the body trained
exactly alike the two brains would acl
together just as do the two eyes we
can switch off either eye and use the
other when we want to. what plesS-
ing it would be if we could use one
brain at a time when the other nap
pens to get tired. In DR.. kelcss
opinion we ought to be able to DO thls
These theories are all based upon act
nal cases. which the doctor has stud :
led. In July, 1864, while he was III the
civil war in the capacity GU dlVlsioh
surgeon, under General Crook, colonel
of an Ohio regiment was brought 10
him. after having been shot through the
head. the bail entering the lett eye
RAISING through the right half OF the
brain and making it's exit at the PACK
of the head, on the right side. Inc
doctor supposed of course ms patieif'
would die, but treated him as well as he
oould. extracting the pieces OF cruih
hled hone from the wound and dress
ing it. The colonel sat for an hour
talking to the doctor and exhibiting no
signs of paralysis; he was next oay
fra nsferred to a hospital at Harper :
Ferry, to which he walked rather tiiah
suffer the Jar of the ambulance wagon.
4, half 400 the doctor re-