The evening times., 1899-01-17
EFFECT OF GOOD AND BAD
EMOTIONS ON THE SYSTEM
PROFESSOR GATES ADDRESS
Interesting Scientific Discussion by
NashinEtonians at Levering
Hall, Baltimore.

Prof. Elmer Gates, of the psychological
dore W. Birney, president of the National
Congress of Mothers, were among the
speakers at the meeting held at Levering
Hall in Baltimore last night, under the
auspices Of the departments of home in
terests and social economies of the Lend
a-Hand Club Mrs. Birney's subject was
Parental Responsibilities and Child Gull
ture.''
In discussing his subject, Pre- Natal In
huences," DIR. Gates said he did not agree
with the fundamental doctrine Of Weiss
Mannism acquired characteristics cannot
be transmitted" In proof Of his belief he
described his experiments ON shepherd
dogs. mice and rabbits. In the expert
ments with the dogs he had three sets of
animals. The dogs in one set were kept
in darkness, the next lot were cared for
in the usual fashion and the third lot we're
carefully trained, the experiments being
made particularly in regard to the sense
of color. At the end of year the dogs
were killed and the drains and brain It's
sue carefully examined. The brain cells
in the trained animals were found to be
larger and more complex than in those of
the other animals.
The mice experimental upon were sub
Jected to similar stimuli at regular reeur-
ring intervals Of the sense Of touch. The
brains Of each generation were examined
microscopically and the successive changes
noted. The brain cells of the fifth genera
tion were notably larger and more com
plex than those of the first. These and
other experiments convinced DR.. Gates of
the truth Of his theory that not only does
every mental function cause definite func-
uonal changes in the brain and in other
parts of the organism, but these changes
may be transmitted
Or. Gates described the instrument he
has invented by which the effect of good
or bad emotions on the physical system
may be tested. Under the influence of
strong emotion the secretory glands throw
poisonous or non-poisonous secretions in
TO the bleed, the nature of the secretion
depending upon the character of the emo
tion- Some of these products are breath
ed out by the individual under the infiu-
ence OF the emotion. The apparatus used
in the experiment consists of a series OF
tubes which are immersed in a freezing
mixture. In them the breath OF the indi-
Vldual experimental upon is collected, is
condensed and analyzed. About ten min
utes breathing into the apparatus will Sc
cure for the operator about three quar-
products Of the breath
The ordinary products, carbonic acid gas
water Vapor, etc, are separated from those
due TO emotion. The condensate due 10
emotional disturbance forms a peculiar
precipitate when treated chemically, the
precipitate varying with the kind of emo
tlon. BY continued experiments along this
line DR.. Gates has discovered that the Sc
cretion of nutrient products in the blood
is increased under the stimulus of pleas
urable emotions, while the secretion OF
poisonous qualities is increased under the
stimulus of evil emotions.
Roughly speaking" DR.. Gates said
you are doing yourself crime when you
yield yourself to evil or the baser emo
tiOns. Now, | am not lecturing you | am
simply stating facts And there is an art
| by which you can acquire the habit OF
lending yourself only 10 the good emo
tions and of avoiding the baser ones"
DR.. Gates described some of the methods
in use in the laboratory at Chevy Chase
along the line of this art of the proper
use of the mind One of the colossal un-
| dertakinss has been the culling out from
the 1900 volumes on acoustics of the
verified truths. In connection with this
| laboratories are being equipped in which
these truths can be tested. The truths
verified viii in the end fill only about
40 pages Of a volume the size of a Century
Dictionary.