The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-01
Dr.. Kellogg Puts Forth a
Suggestive Theory.
Says But Half the Brain of
. Average Man is Used.
R.comm IN Is III. Us: 0 Bob HlnjS
in infancy and IL You'h.

A Provilenc, ply sician who keors
touch with all the new ideas advanced
in his profession, gave the Gossipor u
very Interesting account OF the thecry au-
vapced by DIR. George NJ. Kellogg Tor
lnerly professor OF IA aEomy at the heokuk
Medical College, but who is nov III
Washington for che purpose OF explaining
30 GLOW scientists his BELIEF that tho
average man uses but haif his brain,
when nature intepdei tina. TO should use
the whole. The brain, according % ljr.
keliogg's theory. Is "a double organ IKE
the eyes, the hands, the ears, etc. In
other words we have two brains just "a
the locomotive has two cylinders. lt Is
known tlat the greaSer numosr of nerves
leading from each half of the brain 10
the half Of the body which they control
cross before connecting with tho body.
10 understand tits properly, suppose tho
brain To 10 two cells of battery and the
nerves of the body TO be two distinct sys-
TENS of electric wires About MO
-tentEs OF the wires cmanatiDg from the
left cell connect with rho right side of
the body and about the sans proportion
coming from the right govern the wires
on tho left side Of tho body. Il bout
tenth Cf the nerves coming from each side
cf the brain, however, connect directly
with the corresponding side Of the body.
The parts ON one side of the body arc
duplicates of the corresponding parts on
the other both In function and Ia 70 IN,
tne only exception being that they arc
re> crsaIs of eaoh other. All mammals
are made up of such paired parts, In
man alone according TO DIR. Kellogg is
there n diffcronte in tae strcnsta, doxter
,ity ard usefulness OF the opposite mus
cles. nerves or organs. This onesdedness
in n an he believes TO be neither natural
nor necessary. IL Is simply the result Of
Illabit. Thus almost all men have como
10 use the right sne Of their bodies In
preference 20 the left Tie left side OF
the brain mas thus become predominant,
Stree tho left brain controls the right Of
the body. In the doctors belief it Is pos
sible and probable that the loft hcmis-
phere OF tho average mans Grain controls
tho whole of his iudy, the organs and tho
muscles OF the left side being governed by
tho small number Of direct nerves goins.
straight down from the loft brain. 1ho
brain not only controls the movements of
tho body. hnt Mhnn tho body makes "a
movement IL leaves record or change
of development In the brain II the nerves
Of ouc-half Of the brain are not used in
childhood they soon become useless and do
not volunteer TO act.
In other words, the average man might
be compared to disabled locomotive
running one side that is, governed by
one cylinder only. But unlike the one
cylinder, the one side of the brain which
does the greater part OF the work becomes
moro and more developed and moro
anxious to do all tho work. After tho
habit Is formed 1t probably does all tho
work.
DR.. Kellogg argues, therefore, that wcro
both sides of the brain trained exactly alike
the two brains would act together Just as
the two eyes do. We can switch off either
eve when we want to ard use the other.
m n m " be a N
ono train at time when the other hap
pencd TO get tired. DR.. Kellogg tninks we
should be able to do this. His theory is
based upon actual cnses which have como
under hls observation. In July, 1864.
while be was In the Civil war, in tho
capacity of division surgeon under Gen.
Crook. a colonel Of an Ohio regiment was
brought to him after being shot through
: rhs head the ball entering the left eye,
passing through the right half of tho
brain and making its exit at tho back Of
the head on the right side. DIR. Kellogg
supposed Of course the wounded colonel
would die hut treated him rs we'll rs hc
could, extracting the pieces Of shattered
rome and dressing the wound. Tho
colonel sat for an hour talking To the dec
tor, and showed no signs of paralysis. He
was transferred the next day to hospital
at Hsrpcrs Ferry. to which he walked
rather than suffer he jar of the ambulance
wagon. A year and half ago the doctor
received letter from the colonel who
had still retained his mental capacity,
though his right brain had been ploughed
through by bullet.
. Dr. Kellogg reports many other recent
cases In support of his theory and then
declares IT TO he his positive belief that
we cnn all develop our right brain into
equality with orr fcft brain by becu.uing
.ambidexterous early In life. Infants un-
der observation, he says. show little or no
preference for either hand. When "A young
child Is laid on his back his legs and
arms are always thrown out In every
way, one side as much as the other. The
doctor says he has often seen mothers
slap baby's left hand or tie IL TO the hack
TO discourage It's use. 1ho result is that
the right hand is put forward in all
of sensation. OF w,ight ana pressure of
rouRhness and smoorhncss of bodies Of |
the degrees of heat ani cold. Thu right T,
hand only Is tra.rcd to strike with bani-
mer or club. IL only Is practioed In |
throwing ball or stone. In Is indispen- |
sable that all these Practices should bo !
shared by the two hands through infancy |
and childhood In order to effect the dc- |
sired result.
The doctor points ont sure way In |
which ambidexterity may he promoted |
1t Is that the use of both hands should |
begin In Infancy anu be continued |
through youth, while the body habits are |
being established through tho nervous |
system. he goes on TO say that IL is |
hardly necessary to estimate the advnn |
tago that would eusue by securing tn the |
race the equal Use of the right and left |
hands. An increase in the labor capacity. |
especially In the skilled crafts. would |
equal n third, not only from the coinc- |
dent use Of two strong hands, hut to tho |
respite afforded 10 nervous and muscular |
energy OF either hand In use. Ii would |