Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-20
HUMAN BRAIN CELLS.
THEY REFUSE TO WORK UNDER TOO
HIGH A PRESSURE.

Keeping pace with scientific thought
and progress certain problems which
In the past have been shelved for want
sf light being thrown upon them have
been taken up again one by one to un-
dergo further examination by the aid
Of improved science.
The newest revelation In this dlrec-
tion tends to the science of the mind
and includes the following problems:
Why does man act queerly when
he is intoxicated?
Why is man absentmindcd on oc.
casions? -
Why does man sometimes become
violently insane, often dangerous,
raving lunatic?
Such questions MS these have puzzled
our immediate fathers, who have hard.
ly ever satisfactorily explained them
away or indeed thrown much reliable
light upon them. The human brain Is
composed of cells, and each cell Is q
simple bit of nerve substance, from
OhC C1i VA MHlSli, lht OSlODNS,
spring n number of tcntaclcs, while
from another part arises an ann dif.
fcrent from them and of great length
Tho long arm Is intended for trans
mittiug Impressions frcm one portion
Of the brain system to another, it be-
ing made to touch the tentacles OR
short arms Of the next one to 1t, the
latter in its turn effecting contact with
q third cell. and so on.
Thus n message is conveyed and the
mind gets its news. The entire brain
Is made UP of these cells, whose num-
ber is legion and whose full strength
is grouped In systems, these systems
In turn being arranged in communi.
ties, the communities in clusters and
finally the clusters in consultations,
by which divisions they are known to
psychologists.
So long as the mind is In a healthy
condition each little cell. or brain. oc.
topus. attends to its business faithful
ly and gives no trouble, but as man
generally is an animal who usually re.
fuses to live the life spanned out by
nature and adopts instead the life laic
down by the modern artificial process.
Of living, instituted forsooth by civi.
lization, mental disturbances frequent.
ly arise through the brain becoming
abused In various ways. from over
work and alcohol principally.
Your octopuslike brain cell Is q liv-
ing little thing and 1t can endure n
great deal of abuse from you, but if
you should go little too far 1t rebels
and refuses to work any longer by
breaking contact with its companion
cells. which 1t can do by withdra wing
its long arm and getting itself out OF
circuit. But this rebellion Is conduct.
ed by whole groups of cells acting to.
gether In full harmony.
Now, the object of this strike" la
simply to avoid overworlk, for each
tiny cell has stored within its minute
space only n certain amount of energy,
but II. you put on the high pressure
this is easily consumed by the opera
tion Of the brain. and the organism
breaks down from exhaustion. Now.
take the first Of the problems just
stated. When person takes too much
to drink. the cells In those patches of
the brain that are responsible for the
conduct of muscular movement be-
come affected and the man staggers.
When the dose is very large. the
cells, which. although stupefcd. have
tried to keep their master on his legs,
now cease working. and the maa sleeps
like one dead. Finally, If more than
enough of alcoholic drink be taken.
the effect on the cells Is to paralyze
them. aud the unfortunate man dies.
There Is some relation between ex-
traordinary activity of the min! and
insanity. Gen!uses are apt to exhibit
symptoms of mental alienation, and,
singular to relate. their children are
usually inferior to those of average
men.
For instance, not to go out of Eng
land for example, Cromwell WAS n
hypochondraic and had visions. Dean
Swift inherited insanity and was him.
self not little mad Shelley was call
ed by his friends "Mad Shelley"
Charles Lamb went crazy, johnson
was another hypochondriac, Coleridge
was morbid maniac, Milton was of a
morbid turn of mind. nearly approach
ing insanity Qnodern ideas Of hadcs
are largely formed on the description
evolved by his diseased imagination),
and Byron said he was visited by
ghosts.
This mental alienation occurring in
the foregoing cases shows that GER
tain specific groups of brain cells have
come under the baneful influence of
the guiding spirit called talent or
genius, which has used up all the en-.
eSgy stored In each cell and each group
Of cells. to the detriment of the whole
with the result that their ceasIng work
has brought about various types OF
insanity as depleted or, to phrase II
more softly, induced disturbance OF
the mental equilibrium.
The remaining problem Is absent.
mindedness. This Is produced by a
temporary distinction Of certain
groups of cells. A man becomes SO
absorbed in his study of some partic,
ulnr subject and lends his whole
mind to thought that the hard think.
ing dlsorganizes the groups Of cells
employed in the process Of reflection
their tentacles being turned all one
way, to the detriment of mental ac-
tion generally. and SO the man with
the tentacles of his brain cells turned
In the one direction passes along the
Qsyeets lost to all observation or mental