The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-21
HUMAN BRAIN CELLS.
THEY REFUSE TO WORK UNDER TOO
HIGH A PRESSURE.


Why Men Go Crazy or Become Abb
scntminded.
' Keeping pace with scientific thought
ana progress certain problems which
In the past have been shelved for want
of 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 direc-
tion tends to the science of the mind
and includes the following problems:
Why does man act qucerly when
he is intoxicated?
Why Is a man absentminded on oc.
casions?
Why does a man sometimes become
violently insane, often n dangerous,
raving 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 Of nerve substance, from
one end OF which, like an octopus,
spring a number Of tentacles, while
from another part arises an arm diff
ferent from them and Of great length.
The long arm Is intended for trans
mitting impressions from one portion
or the brain system to another, it be-
Ing made to touch the tentacles or
short arms Of the next one to it. the
latter In its turn effecting contact with
q third cell. and so on.
Thus q message is conveyed and the
mind gets it's news. The entire brain
Is made up Of these cells. whose num-
Der 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 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 laid
down by the modern artificial process
of living, instituted forsooth by civil
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 n liv-
ing little thing. and it can endure n
great deal Of abuse from you, but if
you should so little too far it rebels
and refuses to work any longer by
breaking contact with it's companion
cells. which it 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-
gether in full harmony.
Now. the object OF this strike" is
simply to avoid overwork, for each
tiny cell has stored within it's minute
space only Il certain amount Of energy.
but If 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 lust
stated. When person takes too much
to drink, the cells in those patches of
the brain that are responsible for the
Of muscular movement be-
come affected and the man staggcrs.
When the dose is very large. the
cells. which. although stupeGed. have
tried TO keep their master on his legs.
now cease working. and the man sleeps
like one dead. Finally, if more than
enough of 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. GcniUScs are apt to exhibit
symptoms OF mental alienation. and.
singular TO relate, their children are
inferior tO those OF average
men.
For instance. not to go out of Eng
land for example. Cromwell was
and had visions, Dean
Swift Inherited insanity and was him.
self not little mad. Shelley was call.
cd by his friends Mad Shelley"
Charles Lamb went crazy. Johnson
was another hypochondriac. C0lerdgc
was n morbid maniac. Milton was of n
morbid turn of mind. nearly approach
ing insanity (modcrn ideas OF hadcs
are largely formed on the description
evolved by his diseased imaginati ~,
and Byron said he was visited L.,
ghosts.
This mental alienation occurring in
the foregoing cases shows that ccr-
tain specific groups Of brain cells have
come under the bancful influence OF
the guiding spirit called talent or
genius. which has used up ali the en-
ergy stored in each cell and each group
Of cells. to the dc,rimcnt Of the whole.
with the result that their craSinr work