Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-12-07
OUR COMPLEX BRAIN
HOW NERVE MESSAGES ARE CON-
vEYED TO AND FROM 1T.

IL Is n Signal Box which Records
and Transmits All Sensation-self
Control the Key to Preserving Its
Equilibrium.
The science Of medicine is year after
year becoming more and more perfect.
Its diagnoses are more reliable, and its
method of treatment Is more rational.
Although the brain is the chief part
of the animal man, yet there are many
things about the brain which scientists
have not yet fathomed.
But great strides have been made in
that knowledge which has only within |
recent years been discovered and which |
reveals to us what the Uranium really |
contains. Shelving what has gone be- |
fore and what has been taught as med
ical law, the following interesting data
on how the brain works are now what
Is accepted at the present time as the
correct theory:
The cerebrum--front and top-is the |
chief part of the brain and the imme-
date source of all our mental action.
| The gray matter of the outer surface Is
made up of layers of nerve cells. These
are the thinking centers. Experiments
have clearly demonstrated that each
convolution has special function, and
II destroyed 1t cannot be replaced.
1t has also been found that the left
side of the brain is more active than
the right.
How has that been found out? Well,
| If an -epileptic commences fit by
twltching the right thumb or hand one
would find its cause in its nerve center
on the left side of the brain. 1t is only
within the past few years that medical
men are now able to make map of the
surface of the brain according to the
various functions performed.
All Impressions received from the
outer world. whether through the me-
dlum of sight, smell, hearing. taste or
touch, are carried direct to the surface
Of the brain and recorded In the brain
cells Of their respective areas, while
all movements are the result Of i'm
pulses from the cells in the different
motor areas.
Now, there are five large sensory
areas in the make up of the brain.
First, sight, which Is the largest, at
the back of the brain. Smell, taste and
hearing have their positions at the side
Of the head in the temporal temples)
region and inner surface. Touch has
its domlcile at the top Of the brain,
while the large motor giving notion
area takes up the bulk of the middle
brain.
These are so splendidly arranged by
nature that the motor cells Of the lips
are In 'front.' then those of the hand,
p arm and so on to the foot. To give
you an example how the sensory and
motor nerves work: If you touched
anything hot or sharp, the impression
I would be conveyed to the sensory area
| along the nerves connected with it..
The sensory cell which received the
message would Immediately communi-
, cate with the motor cells to pull your
hand away.
why is 1t easier to remember an OBJ
.. ject than, say, a mathematical formula
or poem? The reason of this Is that
whereas the former has impressions
stamped on several brain centers, such
as sight, touch, smell, taste and the
: rest, the latter are stamped on centers
which are not nearly SO retentive as
the former.
In repeating poetry, for instance, II
Is the sound of the last line which
suggests the next line. but an object
l. presents itself to the brain centers
concerned Immediately. You know an
n Nvhnn
because you are aided in distinguishing
:, 1t by set of centers which are moi
u only more numerous. but quicker In
: perception. Though poetry Is revived
= in the sight and sound centers, 1t Il
not so well fixed there as In the Other
case. because 1t calls up fewer cen
J, tiers.
An apple, for instance, is stamped
y twice In the optic center, once as q
green fruit and once as the printed
u word. There Is an optic word center
: and a pictorial or Photographic center
II The poem is only stamped in the for
L mer, as of course II is not an objec
: which can be pictorially represented.
y The brain Is nothing less than a biz
II album of photographs and other sen
i sorry Impressions. The prefrontal regioI
" may be compared to registry ottic,
l. where certain records are kept. In tn,
y brain that particular part is the start
l. ing place for the memory. II we wisl
g to recall subject the stimulus mus
IL pass to the prefrontal or registry offic,
s. of the brain, whence the stimulus i
@ sent to the brain cells containing th
q sensations to be recalled. 1t is like
II signal box on a railway.
Now. unless your blood be In goot
" order the active life OF the brain vii
p be affected, Blood is the nourishini
j. agent, and If it be of poor kind tn
h work 1t does In the way of nourishmen
- Will be of Il worthless character practl
x cally. Poor blood is an enemy of tn
brain, but happily II is not so disas
trous foe as worry. In that you hav
the real enemy of the brain. Worr
d disorganizes the machinery OF tn
s brain and mind and Is little inferior I
y shock. which usually paraly2es both.
y Worry causes Irregular nerve actor
a and II 1t be continuous 1t produces
'e confusion of Ideas. This depresses th
d cells OF the brain, and the usual resul
ID IA II there Is no abatement in the worr
Is complete failure of the brains actio
lt and consequent mental disturbance.
a. l.. L.. 10 IL,