Daily camera., 1898-02-28
SECRET OF r. YsIcAL PAIN.
I. There Separate system OF Hcrvc'

Is There a Separate System OF icrvcs
fer Conveying That SeEsaticD:
1t has Lately been maintained by some
French Ehysio.ogists that the feeling
of pain is special sensation, apart
from those of touch, sight, etc., and is
transmitted to the brain by special
set of nerves.
When boy fails and hurts his head.
according to this view, lie has two ser
sations, one Of contact with the ground.
transmitted to the brain. by the ordi"
nary nerves, and one Of pain due to the
in Jury received, transmitted by the pain
nerves. These sensatiors may rot even
reach the brain at the same time; il
fact, tie pain usually gets there later.
In the Revue Scienti1ique II. PHILIPPE
Tissie discusses this theory, and cen
cludes that it does rot correspond to
the facts, which are to be explained
rather by what goes on in the brain
itself, where there is probably sPecia,
pain CENTER" that is not stimulated
except by an excessive sensation.
According to the authors hypothesis,
pain, being simply very powerful sem
sation, differs from the ordinary sensa-
tions simply in excess of strength, and
is, of course, transmitted over the same
nerves and with the same speed; but
the mind may apprehend it as a sensa-
ton of touch, or whatever it may be,
before waking up. as we may say, to
the idea that it is an excessive or pain
full sensation. To quote:
'A strong conception responds to a
strong impression, coming from spe-
cial or highly developed sensibi,ity. >. !.
But the appreciation of the impression
is variable. The same blow received,
for example, by an English boxer at
the beginning 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.
''To reach such degree of resistance
he accustoms himself to receive pro-
gressively, more and more powerful
blows. And at the same time, as he
must himself deal blows, he habituates
his own fist to pain. He boxes against
bags, and little by little, as his fists be-
come accustomed to soft surfaces, he
strikes harder ones. A good boxer in
training and in first-rate form should
be insensib,e to the pain of blow.
''Does he reach this degree of insensi-
bility by education of a set of special
nerves of pain? We think not. We
rather hold that he reaches it by proc
ess of psychic education. For him
pain should be only word, because
his training consists not SO much in the
development of his muscles as in the
suppression of pain, which would inter
fere 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 sensa tions of a
blow of the fist. The becoming accus-
toned to it is psychic phenome it
results from comparison of the progress
sive value of the intensity of the blows
received.
''We, therefore, gree with the psychic
hypothesis advanced by M. Richet, who
believes that there is pain center in
the brain, near the centers where the
sensations are produced. Literary Di-
gest.