The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-01-06
HUMAN BRAIN CELLS.
THEY REFUSE TO WORK UNDER TOO
HIGH A PRESSURE.

Pit on Too Much steam aud These
Minute Organisms Go on strike
why Men Go Crazy or Become Alb
sentminded.
Keeping pace with scientific thought
and progress certain problems which
I'm the past have been shelyed for want
Of light being thrown upon them have
been taken up again one by one to nm
dergo further examination by the aid
of improved science.
The newest revelation in this direc
ton tends TO the science Of the mind
and includes the following problems:
Why does r man act queerly when
he IS intoxicated?
Why is a man abSentminded on oc-
casionsl
Why does a man sometimes become
violently insane, often dangerous,
raying lunatic?
Such questions as 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 a
simple bit ~ nerve substance, from
one end OF which. like an octopus.
spring a number Of tcntacles. while
from another part arises an arm DIFF
fcrent from them and Of great length.
The long arm is intended for trans
hitting impressions from one portion
of the brain system 20 another. II be
ing made to touch the tcntacles or
short arms Of the next one to 1t. the
latter In It's turn effecting contact with
n third CELL and so on.
Thus n message is conveyed and the
mind gets It's news. The entire brain
is made mp Of these cells. whose num-
Der is legion and whose fun 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 rs the mind Is in healthy
condition each little cell, or brain Oc-
topus, attends To It's business faithful
~ aud 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 laid
down by the modern artificial process
OF living. instituted forsoOth by civil
llzatlon, mental disturbances frequent
ly arise through the brain becoming
abused in various ways. from over
work and alcohol principally.
Your octopuslike brain cell Is a liv-
ing little thing. and 1t can endure a
great deal OF abuse from you, but II
YOU should go little too far II rebels
and refuses TO work any longer by
breaking contact with its companion
cells which il can do by Withdrawing
its long arm and getting itself out OF
circuit. But this rebellion Is conduct
ed by whole groups Of cells acting to-
gethcr I'm full harmony.
Now. the object Of this strike" Is
simply TO avoid Overwork, for each
tiny cell has stored within its minute
space only certain amount OF energy,
but II you put on the high pressure
this is easily consumed by the opera
ton 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 stupefed. have
tried 10 keep their master on his legs,
now cease working. and the man sleeps
like one dead Finally. II more than
enough ~ alcoholic drink be taken,
the effect on the cells is to paralyze
them. and the unfortunate man dies.
There Is some relation between ex-
traordinary activity Of the mind and
insanity. Geniuses are apt to exhibit
symptoms Of mental alienation, and,
singular to relate, their children are
usually inferior 10 those OF average
men.
For instance, rot to go out OF Eng
land for example. Cromwell was a
hyp0chondraic 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 a morbid maniac. Milton was Of a
morbid turn OF mind. nearly approach
ing insanity (modcrn ideas Of hades
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-
ergy stored In each cell and each group
Of cells, to the detrlmert Of the whole,
with the result that their ceasing work
has brought about various types of
insanity as depicted or, to phrase 1t
more softly, induced disturbance OF
the mental equilibrium.
The remaining problem Is absent
mindedness. This Is produced by
temporary distinction OF certain
groups Of cells. A man becomes so
absorbed in his study Of some partic-
ular subject and lends his whole
mind to thought that the hard think
ing disorganizes the groups OF cells
employed In the process Of reflection.
their tentacles being turned all one
way. TO the detriment Of mental ac-
ton generally. and so the man with
the tentacles of his brain cells turned
in the one direction passes along the
....o4. Let 30 all ohoaruaffo0 0r mental