Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1900-10-24
OUR COMPLEX BRAIN
HOW NERVE MESSAGES ARE CON-
VEYED TO AND FROM 1T.

and Trnnsmits All sensatiOn-seif
Control the Key to Preserving It's
Eguiiibrium.
The science of medicine Is year after
year becoming more and more perfect,
lis 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
zeal law the following interesting data
on how the brain works are now what
Is accepted at the present time as the
correct theory:
The .cercbrum-front and top--ls the
chief part of the brain and the imme-
date source OF all our mental action.
The gray matter OF the outer surface is
are the thinking centers. Experiments
have clearly demonstrated that each
convolution has a special function, and
ifdestroyed 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,
II an eplleptic commences a fit by
twitching 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-
dunn 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 haveithelr positions at the side
of the head In the temporal (temples)
region and inner surface. Touch has
its domicile at the top of the brain,
while the large motor giving notion
area takes up the bulk of the middle
brain -.
These are so splepdidly arranged by
nature that the motor cells of the lips
nre in front, then those of the hand,
arm and so on to the foot. To give
you an example how the sensory and
motor nerves. work: II you touched
anything hot or sharp, the impression
would be conveyed to the sensory area
along the nerves connected with it.
The sensory cell which received the
message would Immediately commune
cate with the motor cells to pull your
hand away.
Why Is 1t easier to remember an OBJ
ject than, say, 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, 1t
Is the sound of the last line which
suggests the next line, but an object
presents Itself to the brain centers
concerned Immediately. You know an
apple or an orange when you see It
because yen are aided In distinguishing
It by n set of centers which are not
only more numerous. but quicker in
perception. Though poetry is revived
IN the sight and sound centers, 1t is
not so well fixed there as in the other
case. because 1t calls up fewer CEN
tiers.
An apple. FOR instance. Is stamped
tNicr IN the optic center, once as
green fruit and once as the printed
word There is an optic word center
and a pictorial or Photographic center.
The poem is only stamped in the for
mrr. as Of course it is not an object
which can be pctor!ally represented.
fl,, brain is nothing less than big
album Of photographs and other SEN
sorry IMPRESSIONS The prefrontal region
RAY he compared to registry office
where certain records are kept. In the
brain that particular part is the start
lnS llace for the memory. If we wish
10 recall Il subject. the stimulus must
pass 70 the preferential or registry office
Of The brain, whence the stimulus Is |
sent 10 the brain cells containing the
sensatlons to be recalled 1t is like a
signal box on Il railway,
Now. unless Your blood be In good |
order the active life of the brain will! |
be affected. Blood is the nourishing |
agent. and If It be OF poor kind the |
work II does IN the way OF rlourishment |
viii be of II worthless character practi- |
cnlly. Poor blood Is an enemy of the !
brain. but happily il Is not so disas- |
trous foe as worry. In that you have |
the. rpnI enemy If tho hrair, syVnrrv